Ahmedabad: A drone assembled by an Adani Group company on an Israeli license has reportedly crashed in the sea near Porbandar. The unmanned, remote-controlled Drishti 10 drones have been assembled by Adani Defense and Aerospace Ltd. It is known that the drone broke during testing even before it was accepted by the Navy.
This Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MEL) type drone is based on Israel’s Elbit System’s Hermes 900 Starliner. Adani Group assembles it in Hyderabad, India and named it Drishti 10. Since it was being operated by the Adani Group, its breakage in the sea near Porbandar during a naval operation caused no economic loss to the Navy. Official sources have revealed that the company has seized the debris of the crashed drone to investigate the cause.
This drone can fly at an altitude of 30,000 feet and can fly for 36 hours with a payload of 450 kg. It can also be used to exchange items in emergency situations. In the year 2023, the Army and Navy had received two different such drones. The price of this one drone has been estimated at Rs 120 to 145 crore. The Navy received a drone in January while the Army received its delivery in June. It has been learned that the drone which crashed near Porbandar was to be used by the Navy. The Army and Navy are keen to buy American drones for high range and Israeli drones for medium range to protect against maritime threats and monitor border security.
