Military Unmanned
an improved version Lakabout $350 million, with
shya-2, capable of flying in
production slated to be
sea-skimming mode at a
completed by 2017. If all
height of about 15 metres
goes well, the Rustom-I
and at treetop level over
may soon be able to carry
land, is ready for induction.
the Helina missile, the airThe DRDO is also developlaunched version of the
ing a low-cost expendable
Nag anti-tank missile. This
aerial target system known
would make the Rustom-I
as Abhyas.
India’s first armed UAV.
The Rustom-H is a
Indeed, the DRDO is
larger MALE surveillance
working on a range of
UAV, with a much higher
unmanned aircraft and
range and service ceiling
they are in various stages
as compared to Rustomof development from the
I. It has two engines and
design concept onwards.
an endurance of over 24
Among them, there is the
hours. It bears no resemshort-range Pawan, the
blance to the Rustom-I.
Gagan tactical UAV and a
However,
the
DRDO’s
Naval Rotary UAV (NRUAV),
rustom-II will ultimately morph into an UCAV, similar to the
main near-term hope for
being developed in collaboAmerican Predator, with a great deal of mission flexibility
unmanned glory rests on
ration with IAI. The NRUAV
the Rustom-II, a MALE
is an intelligence, surveilUAV. Its initial role will be
lance and reconnaissance
surveillance but it will ultimately morph into an unmanned com- (ISR) UAV, based on a Chetak helicopter platform, which can loiter
bat air vehicle (UCAV), similar to the American Predator, with a for about six hours at a distance of 120 km from the launch ship.
great deal of mission flexibility. It has a conventional undercar- Also on the cards is a solar-powered UAV that can remain airborne
riage and needs a runway for take-off and landing. It has a wing- for as long as 15 days. Then there’s the NAL SlyBird hand launched
span of 21 metres, a potential endurance of 24 to 30 hours and mini-unmanned air vehicle (MAV) as well as a national competition
a payload of 350 kg. It has a ceiling of almost ten km. The DRDO for micro air vehicles (MICAV), part of the `100-crore national prois aiming for a world-class system that can perform various roles gramme on MICAV to be held for the second time this year.
like intelligence gathering, border surveillance, target informaUAV operators the world over are beginning to realise that
tion and communications. The UAV is designed to carry a variety the best results come from first-rate sensors and that the cost of
of optical and electronic sensors and each of the three services sensors may equal the cost of the UAV itself. Light, compact and
may get a configuration most suited to its needs. An indigenous powerful sensors are necessary to equip smaller UAVs to perform
Ku-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is to commence flight almost as well as the larger ones. Militaries with growing UAV
trials shortly. Rustom-II, however, has suffered from lack of fleets are also facing shortages of skilled UAV operators. It would
access to technology for sensors and engines and is running a help if India’s three services set up a joint training centre where
little behind schedule. Its first flight is now expected in the next specially selected trainees can be introduced to UAVs.
few months, probably this year and it is expected to be ready for
India’s UAV needs are large and growing. There is already a
induction by 2017.
demand-supply imbalance. The Indian Army alone reportedly has
plans to acquire about 1,500 systems over the next three or four
years, ranging from mini and micro systems to MALE and HALE
Creating an AURA
Preliminary work has also begun on the Indian unmanned strike (high altitude) UAVs. Small UAVs are particularly useful to provide
air vehicle (IUSAV) earlier known as autonomous unmanned commanders a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield so they can move
research aircraft (AURA). The IUSAV will be a stealthy system, their troops into the fight with authentic information of the enecapable of internal carriage and release of precision-guided muni- my’s location, capability and intentions. The Indian Air Force and
tions (PGMs). This programme is classified and is still in its project Indian Navy also need MALE and HALE surveillance UAVs and
definition stage. It will be a flying wing design, built mainly with UCAVs. In addition, the Indian Navy would prefer to have rotary
composites and will have radar absorbent paint, serpentine air UAVs that can be launched and recovered even from small ships.
intakes and turbofan engines. A non-afterburning derivative of
The DRDO and other agencies need to speed up efforts to
the long-delayed GTRE Kaveri is mentioned as its likely power- prevent the country becoming permanently dependent on forplant. The IUSAV will also have encrypted data-link and advanced eign suppliers of UAVs. However, the public sector’s track record
sensors. Dassault Aviation, Saab and BAE Systems are potential in designing, developing and producing modern aircraft and
partners in this extremely complex and
weapon systems of cutting-edge technolambitious programme. The ADE is workogy is hardly inspiring, with several curing towards its maiden fl