DRDO conducts maiden flight of unmanned aircraft demonstrator

Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown. This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies, DRDO stated.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a premier research laboratory of DRDO. It is powered by a small turbofan engine. The airframe, undercarriage and entire flight control and avionics systems used for the aircraft were developed indigenously.

The demonstrator, which looks like the mini version of a US B-2 stealth bomber, has a similar “flying wing” configuration. This enables it to carry more fuel and remain in air for a longer duration. It also gives the aircraft less radar signature.

DRDO said the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way-point navigation and a smooth touchdown while operating in a fully autonomous mode.

This technology demonstrator is part of India’s eventual plan to build an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) which will be capable of reconnaissance and will also carry out tactical actions like dropping both missiles and bombs 

Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for this major achievement which, he said, will pave the way for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in terms of critical military systems for autonomous aircraft.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of the teams associated in the design, development and testing of the system.

Earlier, on Wednesday (29 June) DRDO carried out a flight test of ABHYAS High speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. The performance of the aircraft at low altitude, including sustained level and high manoeuvrability was demonstrated during the test flight. The target aircraft was flown from a ground based controller in a pre-designated low altitude flight path, which was monitored by various tracking sensors deployed by ITR, including radar and electro-optical targeting system.

ABHYAS is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The air vehicle was launched using twin under-slung boosters which provide the initial acceleration to the vehicle. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine to sustain a long endurance flight at high subsonic speed. The target aircraft is equipped with Micro-Electromechanical Systems-based Inertial Navigation System for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer for guidance and control along with Indigenous Radio Altimeter for very low altitude flight and Data Link for encrypted communication between the Ground Control Station and Target Aircraft. The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight.