Kawa UAV’s Jet-Powered Divyastra Mk3 Completes Maiden Flight, Expanding India’s Loitering Munition Capabilities

Indian defence technology company Kawa UAV Pvt. Ltd., operating under the HoverIt brand, has successfully completed the maiden flight of its Divyastra Mk3, a new jet-powered loitering munition developed in India.

The first flight took place on August 11, 2026, marking an important milestone for the company’s indigenous precision-strike programme.

According to HoverIt, the Divyastra Mk3 uses an indigenously developed jet engine supplied by DG Propulsion. The company says the platform has been developed without an imported jet engine or foreign critical subsystem.

Divyastra Mk3 Moves From Development to Flight in One Year

Kawa UAV said the Divyastra Mk3 progressed from programme inception to its maiden flight within a single calendar year.

The company describes the system as a next-generation loitering munition designed to combine higher speed with autonomous or remotely controlled precision-strike capabilities.

Jet propulsion could give such a platform significant advantages over conventional propeller-driven loitering munitions, particularly where greater speed and rapid response are required.

A faster loitering munition can potentially reduce the time between target detection and engagement. It could also improve survivability in increasingly contested air-defence environments.

Indigenous Jet Engine at the Heart of the System

One of the most significant aspects of the programme is the use of an Indian-developed propulsion system.

HoverIt said the Divyastra Mk3 is powered by a jet engine developed by DG Propulsion, making propulsion technology a central element of the indigenous programme.

Small jet engines remain a strategically important technology for cruise missiles, target drones and high-speed unmanned strike platforms.

Domestic capability in this area can reduce dependence on imported propulsion systems while giving Indian developers greater control over future upgrades and platform integration.

New Addition to India’s Loitering Munition Ecosystem

Loitering munitions combine elements of unmanned aerial vehicles and precision-guided weapons.

They can remain airborne over an operational area, search for targets and conduct a precision strike after a suitable target is identified.

Such systems have gained increasing importance in modern warfare because they can engage mobile targets, air-defence systems, command posts, artillery positions and other time-sensitive objectives.

The emergence of the Divyastra Mk3 highlights the growing participation of Indian private-sector companies in this rapidly developing segment.

India already has several public and private programmes focused on loitering munitions, unmanned combat systems and precision-guided weapons.

Company Calls Flight a Major Indigenous Defence Milestone

Kawa UAV’s founders described the maiden flight as evidence that Indian industry can design, engineer and fly sophisticated jet-powered precision-strike systems domestically.

The company has positioned the programme within the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which seeks to increase indigenous design and manufacturing across India’s defence sector.

However, the maiden flight represents an early development milestone. Further trials will be required before the platform can demonstrate operational performance, including endurance, guidance accuracy, communications reliability, target acquisition and warhead effectiveness.

India Expands Indigenous Precision-Weapon Development

The Divyastra Mk3 flight comes amid wider progress in India’s unmanned precision-strike programmes.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has also been advancing the ULPGM-V3 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile.

Recent development trials evaluated the weapon in both air-to-ground and air-to-air configurations, including roles against armoured vehicles, drones, helicopters and other airborne targets.

DRDO has partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Limited for development and production, while UAVs developed by NewSpace Research and Technologies have been used for integration and testing.

Together, these programmes illustrate how India’s unmanned warfare ecosystem is moving beyond surveillance drones toward increasingly sophisticated precision-strike platforms.

Jet-Powered Loitering Munitions Could Open New Operational Options

The Divyastra Mk3 is particularly notable because jet propulsion potentially places it in a different performance category from slower propeller-driven loitering weapons.

Higher speed could allow such systems to strike fleeting targets more rapidly and operate alongside other long-range precision weapons.

Future operational relevance will ultimately depend on factors such as range, endurance, payload, navigation, electronic-warfare resistance and terminal guidance.

Kawa UAV has not yet publicly disclosed the complete performance specifications of the Divyastra Mk3.

Nevertheless, the successful maiden flight represents an important development step for India’s private defence industry and demonstrates growing domestic capability in jet-powered unmanned precision-strike technologies.

If subsequent development and evaluation are successful, Divyastra Mk3 could become another indigenous option within India’s expanding family of loitering and autonomous strike systems.

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Source: Kawa UAV Pvt. Ltd. / HoverIt statements, as reported by ANI, August 16, 2026.

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