PUNE: Pune-based defence firm Nibe Limited has announced the successful completion of the no-cost, no-commitment (NCNC) demonstration of its Vayu Astra loitering munition with a range of 100 km during trials conducted at Pokhran and Joshimath (Malari).
In a statement, the company said the demonstrations were conducted at Pokhran on April 18 and April 19, and at Joshimath (Malari) on April 26 and April 27.
The Vayu Astra-1 loitering munition, an anti-personnel variant, carried out its first NCNC demonstration successfully at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan while carrying a 10 kg warhead.
For capital procurements by the Ministry of Defence, product trials are conducted by the buyer on a no-cost, no-commitment basis, meaning the government neither pays for the trials nor commits to purchasing the products after evaluation.
According to the company, 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, while also demonstrating abort-attack and re-attack capability.
“The loitering munition is based on an Israeli loitering munition,” the company stated.
The statement further claimed that during anti-armour night strike trials, the system successfully engaged targets using an infrared camera and achieved a hit within a 2-metre CEP in a single attempt. The company also stated that the capability of handing over control from the ground control station to a forward control segment at a distance of 70 km was successfully demonstrated.
During separate trials conducted in Joshimath (Malari) in Uttarakhand, the Vayu Astra-1 loitering munition was tested for high-altitude endurance and reportedly flew for more than 90 minutes while completing missions at an altitude exceeding 14,000 feet.
The company added that the system also demonstrated recovery capability after mission completion for subsequent flights.
Earlier on May 20, Nibe Limited announced the successful test-firing of its Suryastra Universal Rocket Launcher system.
The consecutive trials, conducted at the Interim Test Range in Chandipur on May 18 and 19, met all mission objectives with exceptional precision, the Nibe Group said in a press release.
The successful trials come after 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.
