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Regarding the attack on a merchant vessel off India's west coast, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said that the Indian Navy has not yet finalised where the drone had come from.
"Drone attacks can happen from anywhere. We have not yet finalised where it has come from. We have been encountering these drones at sea either doing some patrolling, being in the air and doing some surveillance etc or after they have attacked some merchant ship," the Admiral said. On the state of the investigation into the drone attacks, Hari Kumar said, "We have collected debris of drones collected from three ships and carrying out forensic analysing on them." Earlier in the day, the Indian Navy Chief unveiled the first indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 Starliner Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in Hyderabad. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has been manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace. The flag-off ceremony was led by chief guest Admiral R Hari Kumar (PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC), Chief of the Naval Staff, who lauded Adani Group's efforts in aligning its roadmap to the Navy's requirements and establishing an ecosystem of partners and capabilities to enable 'Atmanirbharta' in defence and security. "This is a momentous occasion and a transformative step in India's quest for self-reliance in ISR technology and maritime supremacy. Drishti 10's integration will enhance our naval capabilities, strengthening our preparedness for ever-evolving maritime surveillance and reconnaissance," he said. Minister of Industries and Commerce, IT, Electronics and Legislative Affairs of Telangana, D Sridhar Babu, congratulated the Adani Defence and Aerospace team for setting up a vibrant ecosystem for unmanned systems. Speaking at the event, Director General of Army Aviation, Lieutenant General Ajay Suri, said that the Indian Navy and Indian Army have placed orders for two of these Drishti-10 drones to meet the emergent requirement for satellite communication-enabled drones. He said the Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad is a world-class facility with a focus on innovation and indigenization, a testament to Indian ingenuity. This self-reliance immensely bolsters the nation's confidence and strength. Jeet Adani, VP, Adani Enterprises, said, "Recent geopolitical events have reinforced the convergence of physical, informational, and cognitive tactics underpinned by intelligence, information processing capabilities, and the use of unmanned and cyber systems for dissemination of information and disinformation." "Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms across land, air and naval borders are a key priority for Adani to serve the armed forces and place India on the global map for exports. We are proud to be able to serve the Indian Navy," he added. (ANI)
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