Drishti-10 – Navy Drone Crashes Near Porbandar During Training Flight
Drishti-10 – A Drishti-10 Starliner unmanned aircraft operated by the Indian Navy crashed near Porbandar airfield in Gujarat on Wednesday during a routine training mission. The incident is the second reported accident involving the Hermes-900-derived platform acquired through the government’s emergency procurement process.
Drone Came Down in Open Field
The remotely piloted aircraft had departed from the Naval Air Enclave in Porbandar before falling in an open area near Dharampur village. The crash site is about six kilometres from Porbandar city in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region.
The Navy said there were no casualties or property damage reported on the ground. Officials have begun an investigation to determine what caused the aircraft to crash.
Navy Orders Investigation Into Incident
In its statement, the Indian Navy confirmed that the Drishti-10 UAV went down during a training sortie near the Porbandar airfield. A board of inquiry will examine whether the incident was linked to a technical failure, a loss of communication with the drone, or another operational issue.
The aircraft is designed to be flown remotely and is used for surveillance and reconnaissance tasks over large areas. Its operational role makes a reliable data connection between the drone and its control station especially important.
Second Mishap Near Porbandar Since 2025
This is the second Drishti-10-related incident reported in the Porbandar area within roughly 18 months. In January last year, another aircraft of the same type crashed into the Arabian Sea during pre-acceptance trials conducted by the manufacturer.
That earlier drone was reportedly being operated by the vendor before it was formally accepted into naval service. Reports at the time indicated that the aircraft may have lost its communication link. The manufacturer later replaced that unit.
The latest crash is likely to bring renewed attention to the platform’s reliability, particularly as the Navy considers expanding its fleet of Drishti-10 drones for sustained maritime surveillance.
Platform Supports Long-Endurance Surveillance
The Army and Navy ordered two Drishti-10 drones each in 2023 under the fourth phase of emergency procurement. The cost was estimated at around Rs 140 crore for each aircraft.
The drones are licence-produced by Adani Defence and Aerospace at its Hyderabad facility through a partnership with Israel-based Elbit Systems. Drishti-10 is an Indian version of the Hermes-900 platform, which has been used for surveillance operations in several countries.
The aircraft can remain airborne for up to 36 hours, carry a payload of around 450 kg and operate at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet. These capabilities allow it to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions over extended periods.
Navy Uses Drones for Arabian Sea Monitoring
The Navy operates Drishti-10 aircraft from Porbandar to improve maritime awareness across the Arabian Sea. The drones are intended to support the monitoring of shipping activity and other movements in the Indian Ocean Region, while reducing the operational burden on P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
The Indian Army uses the same platform from Bathinda for surveillance along the western sector near Pakistan.
The Navy also has two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones on lease from US company General Atomics. It is expected to receive 15 of the 31 MQ-9B hunter-killer drones contracted from the United States in October 2024.