Made-in-India Vayu Astra-1 Loitering Munition Successfully Tested at Pokhran Range, Joshimath

Nibe

Limited, Pune-based defence firm, has informed that it successfully completed the no-cost, no-commitment (NCNC) demonstration of its loitering munition Vayu Astra (drone or hybrid weapon), with a 100 km range. The trials were conducted at Pokhran in Rajasthan and Joshimath (Malari) in Uttarakhand.The company, in a statement, said that the demonstrations were carried out at Pokhran on April 18 and April 19 and at Joshimath (Malari) on April 26 and April 27. The Vayu Astra-1 loitering munition (anti-personnel variant) first NCNC demonstration was successfully tested at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan, carrying a 10 kg warhead.

What Is No Cost No Commitment Trials? Products whose trials are conducted by the buyer on a no-cost, no-commitment (NCNC) basis, meaning the government neither pays for the trials nor commits to purchasing the products afterwards, are called No Cost No Commitment trials.The defence firm's statement added that the system hit its target at a distance of 100 km in a single attempt, with a circular error probable (CEP) of less than one metre, and demonstrated abort-attack and re-attack capability."The LM is based on an Israeli loitering munition," the statement noted.It further claimed that during anti-armour (anti-tank) night strike trials, the system successfully engaged targets using an infrared (IR) camera and hit within a 2-metre CEP in a single attempt. The company also highlighted that the capability of handing over control from the ground control station (GCS) to a forward control segment at a distance of 70 km was successfully demonstrated.

Joshimath Trial Tested Product's Endurance in High-Altitude

During the trials in Uttarakhand's Joshimath (Malari), the Vayu Astra-1 loitering munition was tested for high-altitude endurance, reportedly flying for more than 90 minutes and completing missions at an altitude of over 14,000 feet.The company added that the system also demonstrated recovery capability after mission completion for subsequent flights.Earlier on May 20, the Pune-based defence firm announced the successful test-firing of its Suryastra Universal Rocket Launcher system.The consecutive trials, conducted at the Interim Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, on May 18 and 19, met all mission objectives with exceptional precision, Nibe Group said in a press release.The successful trials come on the heels of a critical purchase order awarded to Nibe Limited in January 2026 under the Indian Army's Emergency Procurement window. The contract fast-tracked the development and supply of the Suryastra Universal Rocket Launcher, along with dedicated 150 km and 300 km range rockets.With inputs from ANI