Iran Made Them Famous, India Is Now Building Its Own Arsenal: What Are Kamikaze Drones?

From the battlefields of Ukraine and the Middle East to South Asia's evolving security landscape, kamikaze drones have transformed the way wars are fought.

Often described as a hybrid between a missile and a drone, these weapons have gained international attention because of their ability to deliver precision strikes at a fraction of the cost of conventional missiles. While Iran's Shahed-series drones helped bring the technology into the global spotlight, India is now investing heavily in developing its own indigenous arsenal of loitering munitions.

What Are Kamikaze Drones?

Kamikaze drones, formally known as loitering munitions or one-way attack drones, are unmanned aircraft designed to search for targets and destroy them by crashing into them with an explosive payload. Unlike conventional drones that return to base after surveillance or attack missions, kamikaze drones are single-use weapons.

Their key feature is the ability to "loiter" over a battlefield, waiting for the right target before diving onto it and detonating.

Military experts often describe them as "flying precision bombs" because they combine the surveillance capabilities of drones with the destructive power of missiles.

Why Did Iran's Drones Become So Famous?

Iran's Shahed-136 drone became one of the most recognizable weapons in modern conflicts due to its simplicity, affordability, and effectiveness.

The drone can travel long distances carrying an explosive warhead and is relatively inexpensive compared to advanced cruise missiles. This allows militaries to launch large numbers simultaneously, overwhelming air-defense systems through sheer volume.

Its success demonstrated a key lesson of modern warfare: a swarm of inexpensive drones can sometimes pose a greater challenge than a handful of expensive missiles.

How Do Kamikaze Drones Work?

A typical kamikaze drone follows four steps:

1. Launch from a vehicle, launcher, or ground platform.

2. Loiter over a designated area while searching for targets.

3. Identify and track enemy assets using onboard sensors and guidance systems.

4. Dive and detonate upon impact.

Many modern systems can operate autonomously, while others allow human operators to approve or modify targets during flight. Some can even abort missions if no suitable target is found.

Why Is India Investing in Them?

India's armed forces increasingly view drones as a critical component of future warfare.

The Indian Air Force has launched a project to jointly design, develop, and manufacture indigenous long-range kamikaze drones with domestic partners. The goal is to create a fully indigenous ecosystem for one-way attack unmanned aerial systems and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

The Indian Army has also unveiled a dedicated roadmap for drones and loitering munitions, reflecting growing interest in precision-strike capabilities.

India's Growing Kamikaze Drone Arsenal

Several indigenous systems are already entering service:

• Nagastra-1R loitering munition, ordered by the Indian Army as part of its precision-strike modernization efforts.

• ULPGM (UAV-Launched Precision Guided Munition), India's indigenous UAV-launched loitering munition capable of engaging both stationary and moving targets.

• AGNIKAA VTOL-1 FPV Kamikaze Drone, designed and manufactured in India for tactical battlefield operations.

• Indigenous long-range projects inspired by the success of Iran's Shahed drones are also under development, with some prototypes reportedly targeting ranges beyond 1,000 kilometres.

Additionally, the Indian Army has inducted and tested systems such as Harop and SkyStriker loitering munitions, highlighting the growing role of drone warfare in military doctrine.

Why Militaries Like Kamikaze Drones

The appeal is straightforward:

• Lower cost than traditional missiles

• Precision targeting capability

• Reduced risk to pilots

• Ability to strike moving targets

• Useful against radar systems, vehicles, and command posts

• Effective in swarm attacks that overwhelm defenses

These advantages have made loitering munitions one of the fastest-growing segments of military technology worldwide.

The Future of Warfare

Military analysts increasingly believe that future conflicts will involve large numbers of drones operating alongside traditional aircraft, missiles, and artillery.

India's latest initiatives suggest that New Delhi wants to ensure it is not left behind in this rapidly evolving domain. With indigenous projects gaining momentum and fresh investments flowing into drone technology, kamikaze drones are likely to become a major component of India's future battlefield strategy.