HoverIT’s Divyastra MK-2 UAV has successfully completed vehicle-based launch trials after earlier high-speed taxi runs, marking a significant step in India’s indigenous deep-strike drone program.
With rocket-assisted take-off as the next milestone, the platform is positioned to bridge India’s gap between costly cruise missiles and short-range tactical drones.
Lucknow-based HoverIT has advanced its Divyastra MK-2 program within the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, signalling India’s growing emphasis on unmanned strike systems under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The UAV, featuring a wingspan of 3.2 metres and a claimed range of 2,000 kilometres, is designed for deep-strike missions in contested environments.
This capability allows India to target adversarial infrastructure such as airbases, logistics hubs, and command centres without relying on manned aircraft or expensive missile inventories.
The Divyastra MK-2 builds upon the earlier MK-1 loitering munition, which had a range of 500 kilometres and a payload of 15 kilograms. In contrast, the MK-2 offers a payload capacity of 50–100 kilograms, endurance of 8–12 hours, and a terminal attack speed of 300–400 km/h.
Its dual-speed profile—cruising at around 180 km/h before accelerating in the terminal phase—optimises both endurance and lethality. This represents a fourfold leap in capability compared to the MK-1, transforming the system from a tactical battlefield asset into a strategic deep-strike platform.
The UAV is engineered to operate effectively in GPS-denied environments, with resilient data links and advanced navigation systems ensuring mission continuity under electronic warfare conditions. It incorporates encrypted sovereign command and control architecture, enabling secure operations independent of foreign systems.
Additionally, HoverIT is integrating AI-driven swarm intelligence, allowing multiple Divyastra MK-2 units to coordinate saturation attacks, distributed surveillance, and adaptive mission execution.
This swarm capability mirrors lessons from recent conflicts, where long-range drones have forced adversaries to expend costly interceptors against relatively inexpensive UAVs.
The Divyastra MK-2’s development reflects India’s response to global drone warfare trends, particularly the use of Iran’s Shahed-136 drones and the U.S. LUCAS system.
These platforms have demonstrated how low-cost, long-range drones can reshape warfare economics by striking deep targets and overwhelming defences. For India, the MK-2 provides a cost-effective solution to hold rear-echelon targets at risk, collapsing the notion of a “safe depth zone” for adversaries.
HoverIT’s parallel development of the MK-1 and MK-2 platforms highlights a dual-track approach to unmanned systems. While the MK-1 focuses on tactical loitering, ISR, and decoy operations, the MK-2 is tailored for strategic missions requiring endurance, payload flexibility, and autonomous precision.
Together, they form a complementary ecosystem of tactical and strategic UAVs, strengthening India’s operational resilience and deterrence posture.
The next milestone for the Divyastra MK-2 is rocket-assisted take-off trials, which will validate its ability to launch under constrained conditions and enhance its deployability. Success in this phase will pave the way for full-scale flight trials and eventual induction into India’s arsenal of unmanned combat systems.
Agencies
