Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 15: On the eve of the 54th Vijay Diwas, commemorating India’s victory in the 1971 war, the Indian Army on Monday displayed a Turkish-made Yiiha kamikaze drone that was brought down by Indian forces on May 10, the final day of the four-day conflict with Pakistan.

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi hosted the event, highlighting the capabilities of the unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), which had been flying at an altitude of around 2,000 metres, launched from Lahore International Airport with Jalandhar as its intended target. Carrying a 10-kg explosive payload, the drone was brought down by the Army Air Defence and is designed to detonate on impact.

The Yiiha, with a wingspan of about two metres and powered by a 170 cc two-stroke engine, belongs to the kamikaze-class drones, also known as “suicide drones,” which loiter over target areas before striking.

The display comes in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation involved air strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, followed by four days of intense clashes that concluded with a ceasefire request from Islamabad.

During the conflict, Pakistan deployed multiple Yiiha UCAVs targeting military and civilian installations, almost all of which were successfully intercepted by Indian forces.