Indian Navy’s Drishti-10 UAV Crashes Near Porbandar; Inquiry Launched Into Incident

Porbandar: An Indian Navy Drishti-10 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed near Porbandar in Gujarat during a routine operational mission, prompting the Navy to order a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. The crash has once again highlighted the challenges associated with operating advanced unmanned surveillance platforms, even as the Indian Armed Forces continue to expand their use for maritime security and intelligence gathering. According to defence officials, the UAV went down during a scheduled sortie over the coastal region. Preliminary reports indicate that there was no loss of life or damage to civilian property, as the aircraft crashed in a sparsely populated area. Security personnel quickly secured the crash site, while technical teams began recovering debris and onboard equipment for detailed examination. The Indian Navy has constituted a Board of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the crash. Investigators will examine whether the incident resulted from a technical malfunction, engine failure, communication loss, software issues, adverse weather conditions, or other operational factors. The findings are expected to guide future safety protocols and operational improvements. The Drishti-10, based on the Hermes-900 platform and manufactured in India by Adani Defence and Aerospace in collaboration with Israel’s Elbit Systems, is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial system. Designed for extended surveillance missions, it plays an increasingly important role in monitoring India’s vast coastline, the Arabian Sea, and the wider Indian Ocean Region. Equipped with advanced electro-optical sensors, infrared imaging systems, maritime surveillance radar, and real-time data transmission capabilities, the Drishti-10 significantly enhances the Navy’s maritime domain awareness. The platform is capable of remaining airborne for extended durations, enabling continuous monitoring of shipping lanes, suspicious maritime activity, piracy threats, and coastal security operations. The incident comes at a time when India is rapidly modernizing its unmanned capabilities across all three armed services. UAVs have become indispensable for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), disaster response, and border monitoring, reducing risks to human pilots while providing persistent situational awareness. Defence experts note that occasional accidents involving military drones are not uncommon as armed forces worldwide continue to operate increasingly sophisticated unmanned systems. Every crash provides valuable technical data that helps improve system reliability, maintenance procedures, and flight safety standards. Officials emphasized that operational preparedness remains unaffected, with other surveillance assets continuing to monitor India’s maritime approaches. The Navy has reiterated its commitment to maintaining high safety standards while strengthening indigenous defence capabilities under the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The Drishti-10 programme represents a significant milestone in India’s ambition to build a robust domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem. The platform symbolizes the country’s growing expertise in advanced aerospace technologies and its drive to reduce dependence on imported military equipment. As investigators analyse the recovered wreckage and flight data, the Navy’s inquiry is expected to identify the precise cause of the accident and recommend corrective measures. The outcome will be closely watched by defence planners as India continues to expand the role of unmanned systems in safeguarding its maritime frontiers and strengthening national security.