Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defence announced that the reconnaissance drone Shagala, developed within the country, has started field testing.

The Shagala prototype is equipped with its own encryption protocol and secure communication channels. During test flights, it was also tried to adapt the platform’s rechargeable batteries to different weather conditions.

The Deputy Minister of Defence expressed that they want to strengthen the capabilities of the domestic defence industry by minimizing the import of components and assemblies not produced in Kazakhstan.

The aerial vehicle has a range of up to 30 kilometres, while it can be operational for two and a half hours in the air.