As India accelerates its development of one-way attack (OWA) drones—commonly known as kamikaze or suicide drones—a significant shortfall in the nation's testing capabilities has emerged.
Unlike standard surveillance uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) that return to base after a mission, these specialized weapons are built to travel great distances and detonate upon reaching their target.
Driven by recent battlefield successes in operations such as 2025's Operation Sindoor, Indian firms are rapidly designing long-range loitering munitions to match global standards.
Systems like IG Defence's "Project KAL" and NewSpace Research and Technologies' "Sheshnaag-150" promise affordable, precision strikes against crucial enemy assets like radars and command centres.
However, assessing these disposable platforms requires a vastly different approach than testing conventional aircraft.
Traditional UAVs can be safely evaluated at regular airbases because they are meant to land intact.
In stark contrast, kamikaze drones are designed for self-destruction. To properly test them, engineers need massive, certified impact zones where the drones can complete their full flight paths and safely trigger their explosives without endangering civilian populations.
With emerging indigenous platforms—such as the CSIR-NAL kamikaze drone and Project KAL—aiming for strike ranges of up to 1,000 kilometres, developers desperately require expansive safety corridors over empty land or open water.
These vast spaces are essential to verify the endurance, satellite navigation systems like India's NAViC, and final strike accuracy of the drones before they enter mass production.
India currently relies heavily on the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore, Odisha, for long-distance weapon trials.
Yet, this facility is already overwhelmed with testing high-priority strategic assets like ballistic and surface-to-air missiles. This packed schedule leaves little room for public and private drone manufacturers to conduct frequent test flights.
Furthermore, because these new OWA drones carry substantial explosive payloads—often weighing 40 kilograms or more in swarm and deep-strike configurations—they pose too great a risk for mixed-use airfields.
They strictly require dedicated "disposable target zones" where they can crash and explode securely.
Military sites like the Pokhran and Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan are occasionally utilized for tactical drone demonstrations, such as those seen during the Army's Exercise Agni Varsha in February 2026.
While these ranges are adequate for evaluating smaller, shorter-range systems like the Nagastra-1 loitering munition, their physical footprint is too small for true endurance testing.
A drone built to fly for three to five hours across hundreds of kilometres simply cannot be safely contained within the restricted airspace of these inland firing ranges.
To solve this spatial dilemma, defence planners are now considering the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a potential testing ground.
By designating specific terminal impact zones in this remote archipelago, India could replicate the testing methods used for long-range cruise missiles.
Launching drones out over the vast maritime expanse surrounding the islands would provide the necessary hundreds of kilometres of unpopulated airspace.
This would allow military scientists to test full mission profiles, including long-range guidance and terminal diving manoeuvres, without congesting mainland airspace.
This infrastructure push is a direct response to the changing face of global conflict. From Ukraine to the Middle East, cheap, expendable drones have proven highly effective at overwhelming sophisticated air defences.
While India has made massive strides under its 'Make in India' initiative—mastering autonomous algorithms, secure communications, and lightweight airframes—the physical and regulatory environment has not kept pace.
For India to fully realize its ambitions of becoming self-reliant in cutting-edge unmanned warfare, establishing dedicated, large-scale drone testing facilities will be an unavoidable next step.
