New Delhi: Solar Industries India Ltd on Monday said that one of its subsidiaries has bagged a Rs 212-crore contract from the Ministry of Defence. "Economic Explosives Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company has signed a contract for supply of loitering munitions with the Ministry of Defence," Solar Industries India said in a regulatory filing.

The size of the order is Rs 212 crore, the company said. Homegrown Solar Group is into manufacturing industrial explosives.

What are loitering munitions?

Loitering munitions are a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). They are a mix of a surface-to-surface missile and a drone. These munitions stay in air for a longer time period while surveying a designated area and seeking targets. Once a target is identified and locked on, they act as a missile to destroy it.

These types of munitions are also known as suicide drones or kamikaze drones because they are designed to be a one-time use weapon, with the drone itself being the warhead. Loitering munitions are typically used in military operations for reconnaissance and targeted strikes against enemy targets. They can be controlled remotely by an operator or programmed to operate autonomously. These munitions are an asset to the artillery branch of the Army as they are able to detect and take out static and moving targets across all types of landscapes, from mountains to deserts. Further, they can destroy radar installations, air defence systems and communication centres and dynamic targets such as enemy vehicles and troops.

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