What Are Asisguard Songar Drones? Turkey-Made UAV Used By Pakistan In Brazen Attack On India
Last Updated:
Songar is equipped with 5.56 mm NATO-standard firearms, boasts automatic fire stabilisation, and is capable of autonomous take-off and landing
India on Friday accused Pakistan of deploying Turkish-made drones in a large-scale, unprovoked attack on Indian military installations on Thursday night.
At an Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force(IAF) confirmed that Turkish-origin armed drones—Asisguard Songar—were used in the brazen assault, which Indian forces responded swiftly, neutralising the threat using both kinetic and non-kinetic measures.
'On the night of May 8-9, Pakistan carried out large-scale violations of Indian airspace, attempting to target military infrastructure with 300-400 drones across 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek," said Singh.
What Are Songar Drones? Turkey's First Armed UAV System
The Songar drone, developed by Turkish defence firm Asisguard, is the first armed drone inducted into the Turkish military's arsenal. It was officially added to their inventory in 2020 and later integrated with armoured land vehicles in 2021 to enhance surveillance and strike capabilities during cross-border missions.
According to Defence Turkey magazine and the company's official website, the Songar is equipped with 5.56 mm NATO-standard firearms, boasts automatic fire stabilisation, and is capable of autonomous take-off and landing. These features make it highly effective for military and internal security operations, especially in rugged or sensitive terrain.
Songar drones can be configured for both reconnaissance and combat roles, allowing them to neutralise targets with precision and relay real-time intelligence to command centres.
The current standoff between India and Pakistan intensified following India's Operation Sindoor on May 7, in which Indian forces targeted nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives.
On the intervening night of May 8 and 9, Pakistan retaliated with a massive drone offensive, violating Indian airspace and attempting to hit military installations. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh confirmed that the Indian armed forces effectively neutralised the incoming threats.
Amid this ongoing conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held consultations with top defence veterans, including former chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, to review the national security scenario and discuss future responses.
First Published:
May 09, 2025, 23:20 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Warner Bros Discovery restructuring may back India OTT plans—but faces challenges
Warner Bros Discovery's decision to split its streaming and studio business from its traditional TV networks may give a fresh push to its digital plans in India—but growing in the country's crowded and price-sensitive OTT market won't be easy. Under the restructuring, Global Networks will house entertainment, sports and news television brands such as CNN and Discovery, along with digital products including the discovery+ streaming platform. The newly formed Streaming & Studios entity will comprise Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group and DC Studios, which will continue releasing their films theatrically in India. David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, said in a global release, 'By operating as two distinct and optimised companies, we are empowering these brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today's evolving media landscape." Also read: Why Warner boss Zaslav is having to split up the media empire he built 'This separation will invigorate each company by enabling them to leverage their strengths and specific financial profiles. This will also allow each company to pursue important investment opportunities and drive shareholder value," added CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels. India playbook challenges The separation could allow Warner Bros Discovery to invest more aggressively in OTT in India, especially in subscription-based models. However, the challenges are plenty. Currently, the company only runs the discovery+ streaming service in India, while syndicating most of its intellectual property (IP) to JioHotstar. Experts believe that the platform, now free from having to serve traditional TV audiences, could lean into bold, edgy content aimed at younger demographics. 'The digital business isn't big in India, and it will have to show revenue now," said Girish Dwibhashyam, streaming industry expert and former vice-president and chief operating officer of DocuBay, a documentary streaming service. 'The split could rejuvenate their investments in OTT but it would also bring down their negotiating power with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and aggregators for distribution partnerships since it would no longer come under the same umbrella as broadcast," he added. While Warner Bros Discovery has dabbled in infotainment, science, and mythology in India, Dwibhashyam sees room for more daring content experiments. Given that they no longer have the baggage of producing the same programming for both TV and OTT, the company could explore edgier themes, he said. Also read: Online games and self-publishing platforms: movie producers tap new avenues for fresh plotlines Vinay V. Singh, managing director (USA), Primus Partners, added that the company could now double down on high-quality originals and global formats. 'These are key to capturing Indian millennials and Gen Z in a fiercely competitive OTT landscape," he said. Singh also said HBO-branded content, currently available via video-on-demand through partnerships like JioHotstar, may gain more muscle with renewed global backing. Despite the digital optimism, linear television remains dominant in India, especially in smaller towns and non-English-speaking markets. However, if other global media giants follow Warner Bros Discovery's decoupling strategy, standalone TV units may need to raise ad or subscription rates to remain viable. This could further drive viewers toward cheaper OTT platforms, including those that rely on advertising-based video-on-demand (AVoD). Industry experts anticipate that the decoupling trend could push streaming companies to innovate their pricing models. Expect bundles that include local originals, micropayments, ad insertions, and dynamic pricing to boost reach while protecting average revenue per user (ARPU). Subscription blues Yet, streaming monetization remains a hurdle in India. According to a report by Ormax Media, India's video streaming audience stood at 547.3 million, but active paid subscriptions stagnated at 99.6 million. Notably, the SVoD (subscription video-on-demand) audience declined by 2% in 2024, even as the AVoD base grew by 21%. 'Foreign companies haven't really seen India as a hot market. Plus, there isn't real value in SVoD yet," said Sunil Lulla, founder, The Linus Adventures. Warner Bros Discovery has also refrained from fully adopting the ad-supported model in India. Last year, Sai Abishek, head of factual and lifestyle cluster, South Asia, had said the platform would continue to focus primarily on a subscription-driven model. What's next While Warner Bros Discovery declined to comment on Mint's queries for this story, industry watchers say the company's strategic split could be a reset moment for its India plans. However, competing in a saturated market—dominated by players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5, and SonyLIV—will demand more than just capital. It will require smart partnerships, platform innovation, and the courage to bet big on differentiated content. Also read: Few winners, many misses in Bollywood's lopsided H1 recovery story
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Nifty 25K under fire: Aamar Deo's strategy for BEML, Adani Power and 4 others stocks amidst Mideast war
Live Events Markets have displayed strong resilience and a bullish momentum in the past week, with the benchmark indices closing strongly in the green. Overall, the rally has been broad-based with positive gains witnessed in midcap and smallcap as well, clearly indicating investor interest. And all this, despite the rising geo-political tensions in the Middle East. Further the India VIX , too continues to trade within a comfortable band of 14-16, further cementing the comfort of the investor community. But given the latest developments of USA directly entering into the war with Iran, and bombing its key nuclear facilities, could have graver ramifications asIran threatens to block the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for almost 20% of the daily world crude oil consumption. This could lead to a further spike in crude oil prices, and we could witness volatile trading sessions this week. Investors need to brace themselves for increased volatility, while at the same time, stay Nifty has been in a consolidation mode, for the past few weeks, with strong support seen around the 24,400-24,600 zone whereas immediate resistance on the upside is seen around the 25,200-25,400 zone. Bank Nifty on the other hand, has displayed a stronger move as compared to Nifty, on the back of a sharp rally in Financials. Bank Nifty has crucial support around the 55,200-55,400 zone whereas resistance is seen around the 56,700-57,000 of the IT stocks witnessed positive moves last week, with gains ranging from 1%-3% WoW, with the exception of TCS , LtMindTree & Oracle which ended marginally in the benchmark Nifty IT Index is up 4.5% MoM, indicating that overall investor interest remains strong in this sector. However, it would be prudent to go slow and steady in the sector, given the mixed economic trends emerging from the USA, which accounts for a major chunk of the IT business of Indian IT companies.A limited exposure should be maintained in the IT sector, given the headwinds in the industry, while at the same time, the emerging opportunities emerging in this sector, offers scope for capital appreciation. But primarily, the gainers will be those who shall be able to leverage the emerging technologies and service their clients most competitively. Hence, an ideal mix of a Tier1 & a Tier2 stock can be looked at from a long-term investment the financial sector has performed exceedingly well in the current quarter, and with the recent RBI rate cut of 50 basis points and a 100-basis cut in CRR, spread over 4 tranches starting September till November, is likely to infuse Rs.2.5 trillion into the banking system by year this clearly indicates, that going forward, that credit growth shall be a key theme. Given such optimism in this sector, it is very likely that FIIs have begun buying into the sector, and this sector could see solid double digit growth in coming years. As far as the energy sector is concerned, there are too many variables at play, both in the domestic and global scenario, hence it would be advisable to adopt a cautious renewables space is something that can be looked at from a long-term and smallcaps have indeed delivered superior returns over the past month, as compared to large caps, on the back of the expectations that many stocks in these categories are likely to report better financial numbers in the coming quarters. Earlier, during the sharp correction post September, many of these stocks had witnessed significant erosion in value, which led investors to dump these stocks. But over the past couple of months, interest in back in these two categories, but it has become more stock and sector strong on fundamentals shall continue to do well, and it would be prudent to stay invested in the leaders in these two market witnessed a sharp rally last week, and few stocks such as Swiggy, Aditya Birla Capital and BEML gained almost 10%, 8% and 8% respectively WoW. Investors can look at holding these stocks from a long-term perspective, as they all are leaders in their respective those having a short-term view, can look at booking part profit and hold the balance. On the other hand, stocks such as Hindustan Zinc, Concord Biotech and Adani Power, corrected by almost 15%, 13% and 7% respectively WoW. Investors can hold their positions, with crucial support seen at 410, 1700 and 480 levels respectively.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Infosys, Wipro, and other IT stocks in focus as ADRs decline following Accenture Q3 results
Infosys, Wipro, TCS and other Indian IT stocks will be in focus on Monday after Accenture shares plunged 7% in the U.S. market on Friday. The sell-off came despite the company reporting better-than-expected revenue for the third quarter, raising concerns over future demand trends and sector sentiment. ADVERTISEMENT Accenture posted revenue of $17.7 billion for the quarter ended May 31, surpassing analysts' average estimate of $17.3 billion, according to LSEG data. The growth was led by continued demand for AI-driven services from enterprise clients. However, the sharp fall in the stock price indicates investor concerns over weakening margins and a soft outlook in key verticals. Accenture's Q3 report triggered a broader reaction across global IT stocks. Infosys ADRs slipped 4%, while Wipro ADRs edged down 0.34%, reflecting early signs of pressure that could spill over to the Indian market. Also Read: 11 Nifty mid & smallcap stocks that can rally 40-90% over the next 12 months The company also flagged headwinds from a sluggish U.S. federal contracting environment. It attributed the slowdown to policy changes under the Trump administration that aim to curb federal spending by cutting or delaying IT contracts. While Accenture noted these changes have not materially impacted operations yet, the overall commentary weighed on investor confidence. Also Read: US strikes on Iran may rattle markets: Will Nifty, Sensex react to escalating geopolitical risk? Interestingly, Indian IT shares had ended Friday with broad-based gains, led by midcap names. Persistent Systems rose 3.5%, followed by Coforge up 2%, and Mphasis, which gained over 1%. ADVERTISEMENT Among largecaps, HCL Technologies was the top gainer, up 1.3%. TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, and Oracle Financial Services Software (OFSS) closed with modest gains of up to 0.8%. Also Read: $2.4 trillion worth of gold! India's household hoard is 6x Pakistan's economy ADVERTISEMENT However, Infosys and LTIMindtree ended in the red, hinting at selective Nifty IT index closed 0.84% higher for the day. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel)
