What Are Kamikaze Drones? Check their Range, Cost, Origin Country and Features

On May 7, 2025, India launched a surprise military attack, ‘Operation Sindoor’, striking nine terrorist infrastructures in the areas of Pakistan and PoK. This tri-colour nation deployed SkyStriker kamikaze drones, co-developed with Adani Group’s Alpha Design Technologies.

Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed to hover over a target area before crashing into a target and detonating. 

Unlike traditional missiles, they can loiter for extended periods, allowing operators to select high-value targets with precision. The SkyStriker, developed by Israel's Elbit Systems and India's Alpha Design Technologies, is a prime example. 

In this article, we’ll take a brief look at the kamikaze drones and how they work.

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What are Kamikaze Drones?

Source: ABC News

Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions or suicide drones, are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with explosive warheads designed for single-use missions. They loiter over a target area, identify enemy assets, and then deliberately crash into the target, detonating their payload upon impact.

Meaning of Kamikaze

"Kamikaze" is a Japanese term that means "divine wind". Originally, it referred to the typhoons that destroyed invading fleets of Mongols in the 13th century, which the Japanese believed were sent by the gods to protect them.

In more recent history, during World War II, this term became synonymous with Japanese suicide pilots who crashed their planes into enemy ships. These pilots denied the enemy the opportunity to fight back, and in doing so, they sacrificed their lives to inflict the maximum amount of damage.

In the case of kamikaze drones, the term is used in another sense. These drones are unmanned perseverance and seizing agency. They do the same thing--crash into a target and explode – even though they are unmanned; by design, they are a one-way mission weapon.

Key Features

• Single-use weapon: Kamikaze drones are not designed to return after an attack; they destroy themselves and the target in the process.
• Loitering capability: They can hover or circle over a battlefield, waiting for a target to appear.
• Precision targeting: Equipped with cameras and sensors, they can identify and strike specific targets with high accuracy.
• Remote or autonomous operation: Some are guided by human operators via real-time video feeds, while others use autonomous systems and AI for navigation and targeting.
• Difficult to detect: Their small size and low radar signature make them hard to intercept.

Technical Specifications

How Kamikaze Drones Work

1. Launch: Deployed from ground platforms, vehicles, or even handheld launchers.
2. Loiter: The drone flies to a designated area and loiters while searching for targets using onboard cameras and sensors.
3. Target Acquisition: Targets are identified either manually by a remote operator (using a first-person view camera) or autonomously using AI and sensor data.
4. Attack: Once a target is confirmed, the drone dives onto it, detonating its warhead on impact.
5. No Recovery: The drone is destroyed in the attack; it cannot be reused.

Tactical Advantages

• Cost-effective: Cheaper than traditional missiles or manned aircraft.
• High precision: Minimises collateral damage.
• Pilot safety: No risk to human pilots.
• Flexible deployment: Useful in various terrains and for diverse targets, from vehicles to infrastructure

Different Types of Kamikaze Drones and the Variants Used by India

Kamikaze drones, or loitering munitions, come in several types and variants, often tailored to specific operational needs. The major global variants include:

• Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 (Iran): Used for precision strikes and offensive missions, the Shahed-136 is known for its extended range and high-explosive payload.
• Lancet (Russia): Designed for direct attack missions, used extensively in various conflicts.
• Zala KYB (Russia): Another Russian loitering munition focused on tactical strikes.
• Switchblade (USA): A portable, backpack-carried drone with an adjustable blast radius and real-time video feed, used for both surveillance and attack.
• Harop (Israel): A larger, long-endurance loitering munition capable of targeting radar installations and other high-value assets.
• Geran-2 (Russia): A Russian-produced variant based on the Shahed-136, with modifications for local production and electronic warfare resistance.
• FPV (First Person View) Drones: Smaller, often improvised drones used for tactical, close-range attacks are increasingly popular in modern conflicts.

Indian Variants and Capabilities

Source: Mint

India is actively developing and inducting its own kamikaze drones, focusing on indigenous solutions to meet tactical requirements:

• Nagastra-1: Developed by Solar Industries, this GPS-enabled loitering munition carries a 1 kg payload and can strike targets with 2-metre accuracy. An initial order of 120 units has been delivered to the Indian Army, with a total of 420 units planned.
• Indigenous FPV Kamikaze Drones: Developed by the Indian Army’s Fleur-De-Lis Brigade and DRDO’s Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, these drones are equipped with a 400-gram shaped charge warhead capable of piercing tank armour. They are cost-effective and tailored for high-impact tactical strikes, with at least 100 units already in the pipeline.
• Sheshnaag (NewSpace Research): Part of a family of small, swarming kamikaze drones unveiled at Aero India 2025, designed for mass deployment and autonomous operations, especially in naval warfare contexts.
• Other Developments: India is also exploring larger, more sophisticated unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) like the "Abhimanyu" for naval and collaborative combat roles, though these are not strictly kamikaze drones.

In a Nutshell

Cost of Indian Kamikaze Drones

1. KHARGA Kamikaze Drone:

• Developed by an Indian Army officer, this lightweight, easily fabricated drone is priced at approximately ₹30,000 per unit. 
• It is designed for both reconnaissance and precision kamikaze strikes, using cost-effective materials like cardboard for rapid and inexpensive mass production.
• FPV Kamikaze Drones (Anti-Tank Munition):
• The Indian Army’s indigenous FPV kamikaze drones, developed in the Pathankot area, cost around ₹1,40,000 per drone. 
• These are designed for tactical warfare and equipped with impact-based anti-tank munitions.

2. Nagastra-1 Loitering Munition:

• The Indian Army signed a contract worth ₹2.12 billion (about $25 million) for 450 Nagastra-1 drones, which puts the per-unit cost at roughly ₹4.7 lakh (about $5,500). 
• Nagastra-1 is a more advanced, man-portable system with GPS-enabled targeting and a 1 kg warhead.

Global Perspective

• Kamikaze drones are generally recognised for their low manufacturing cost compared to traditional missiles or manned aircraft, which is a key driver of their adoption in modern conflicts.
• In Ukraine, the majority of mass-produced kamikaze FPV drones are relatively inexpensive, allowing for large-scale deployment. Production is now at 200,000 units per month, mostly of the low-cost variety.
• The cost of more sophisticated, long-range kamikaze drones (like Shahed-136, Switchblade, or Harop) can range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars per unit, depending on payload, guidance systems, and endurance.

Conclusion: Which Country Developed Kamikaze Drones?

Kamikaze drones, or loitering munitions, were first developed by Israel in the 1980s. The Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) created the Harpy drone, one of the earliest loitering munitions, specifically designed to suppress enemy radar systems.

Since then, many countries have developed variations of kamikaze drones. The United States has the Switchblade drones that are compact and precise.

Russia is deploying Lancet drones in multiple theatres of war. Iran has the Shahed-136 long-range weapon that is able to carry a significant payload.

China has models for both reconnaissance and attack. India has the SkyStriker, designed in cooperation with Israel's Elbit Systems, which is designed to hit accurately.

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