UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

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Singha
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Singha »

^ i think thats how repaers are controlled over AfPak from florida. the antennas on both ends must be better than Tata Sky ones which go dark when rains and clouds come.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Yagnasri »

Singha wrote:^ i think thats how repaers are controlled over AfPak from florida. the antennas on both ends must be better than Tata Sky ones which go dark when rains and clouds come.
Such system need to be better than Tata Sky. :D Because of rain in Mumbai I could not see GoT final ep when it was telecasted because I have a Tata Sky. :((
VinodTK
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by VinodTK »

India’s Armed Drone Fleet
With even Pakistan now sporting an armed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed with Chinese assistance, India has decided to accelerate the development of its own weaponized drone fleet. The process of weaponizing an indigenously developed UAV has commenced and the elements required to operate an armed drone fleet, such as a high accuracy satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) and dedicated military communication satellites, are being put in place anyway. Work is also underway on a stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).

Despite this, India still has to make some progress on the collision avoidance technology needed to give its drones the flexibility to use civilian airspace. It will also need to increase satellite bandwidth considerably to increase the tempo of armed UAV flights. In the next few years limited use of drone strikes near India’s borders on terrorist targets may be on the table, in keeping with the emerging Modi-Doval doctrine that authorized the recent cross-border strike in Myanmar.

Status

While the Indian military has long operated Israeli Searcher and Heron drones for C4ISTAR roles and even possesses anti-radiation suicide drones from the same source, it does not as yet have missile firing drones such as the Predator its inventory. India is now looking to change that with its Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) beginning serious work on weaponizing the indigenously developed Rustom-I Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV.

According to the DRDO, it has integrated a locally developed anti-tank missile called the HELINA with the Rustom-I. Taxi trials have been completed, with flight trials expected to commence this year. The idea is to have the weaponized configuration of the Rustom-I ready by the middle of next year. This sudden urgency is perhaps in no small measure due to the recent test-firing of a laser guided missile by Pakistan’s Burraq drone, which was developed with Chinese assistance and which resembles the CASC CH-3 drone.

While integration with missiles such as the HELINA also indicate a potential anti-armor role for the Rustom-I, it could certainly be used in strikes on remote terrorist camps or for that matter on small vessels on the high seas. Indeed, the first military user of the Rustom-I is likely to be the Indian Navy rather than the Indian Army, which still wants certain features added to the Rustom-I before it agrees to induct it.

A key enabler for armed UAV flights in India would be the new domestically developed SBAS called GAGAN, which has already received certification for both en-route navigation as well as precision vertical guidance for assisting planes to land safely and beamed its first signals earlier this year. While GAGAN was designed to assist civil aviation in India, the enhancement of satellite navigation (SATNAV) signals that it provides is obviously available to Indian military users as well. Indeed, Indian defense scientists along with local industry have also developed a lightweight GAGAN receiver module that can be fitted aboard UAVs and is capable of receiving “refined” signals from the American GPS, Russian GLONASS, and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System which will become fully operational in the near future.

GAGAN is crucial for waypoint navigation of Indian UAVs and will assist them to both “get back home” in the event of a link failure with their ground control stations (GCS) as well as make emergency landings on alternate airfields. Both of these aspects naturally assume even greater importance when a UAV carries on board weapons. Of course, the availability of high quality SATNAV signals are also very important for precision strike purposes.

Indian armed drones in the future will also be able to operate over extended ranges as the Indian military inducts more dedicated military communication satellites. Again, the Indian Navy is a front runner in this department having fully integrated the GSAT-7 communication satellite in its order of battle and used it to network ships and aircrafts in missile firing exercises. GSAT-7 can also relay signals in the Ku-band and this can be used to control Indian UAVs, which will feature a Ku-band transmitter data link. The Indian Air force and Army are meanwhile looking forward to their own joint military communication satellite called GSAT-7A, which will also have Ku-band transponders.

In some ways the stage is being set for the indigenous UCAV program that is currently focused on developing a sufficiently stealthy platform, release of weapons from an internal weapons bay, and materials for all-aspect stealth. The first flight of this UCAV is expected to take place in the early 2020s. By that time, the support elements required to exploit such a system are likely to have matured in India.

Challenges

GAGAN notwithstanding, Indian armed UAV operations will remain restricted to military airspace until such time that India makes progress on a collision avoidance system. For this technology, India is currently tapping the U.S. and France, but it remains to be seen how much assistance will be forthcoming in this arena. Without a collision avoidance system, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation will obviously not conclude an agreement with the military to allow UAVs to transit civil airspace. Moreover until the Indian military can put up a large enough constellation of military communication satellites, armed drone operations will be somewhat limited in scope and tempo. There will be a reliance on short distance VHF links unless greater satellite bandwidth is made available. This means that Indian armed UAV operations will take place close to Indian airspace in the early years of deployment. It will also limit basing options for Indian armed drones.

In any case, the Rustom-I is not a long-range system and it is perhaps the Rustom-II, still under development and expected to be able to fly for up to 30 hours at a stretch, which will assume the mantle of India’s frontline armed drone in the years ahead. Development of the Rustom-II has been delayed on account of challenges with efficient design as well as the cancellation of export licenses by the U.S. State Department of the American origin actuators that were being used in the Rustom-II. India has now had to develop indigenous replacements for those actuators and the Rustom-II will fly with those this year.

The episode may, however, have catalyzed India’s ongoing bid to join the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Wassenaar Arrangement, both of which seek to restrict the flow of dual-use items that go into UAV development. India had voluntarily chosen to synchronize its export-control regimes with the MTCR in 2008 during the heyday of the Indo-U.S. nuclear civil agreement and is now looking to use its excellent non-proliferation record to ensure that such events do not get in the way of its UAV development programs by formally joining that association.

Doctrine

Indeed, unlike China, India’s armed UAV fleet will essentially be for its own use and not meant for the export market, something that is being signaled via its bid to join the MTCR. Armed drones for India are actually both a symmetric response to what the Chinese and Pakistanis have been doing in this arena as well as a response to asymmetric tactics being used by India’s rivals. Armed drones are intended to expand the response options available to the Indian military as it has to mount more operations to neutralize terrorist elements based out of remote facilities in neighboring countries.

The employment of armed drones for precision strikes will make it easier for the Indian military to neutralize targets of opportunity in scenarios where sending in special forces would be too risky or complicated. Once lightweight UAV specific munitions that minimize collateral damage become available, armed drones could also potentially prosecute targets co-located with civilian hamlets. Overall, the pursuit of armed drones is in consonance with the Modi-Doval doctrine which seeks to position India as a state that is not averse to deploying hard power for national security requirements.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Karthik S »

http://www.hindustantimes.com/business- ... 60779.aspx
French drone-maker LH Aviation on Friday signed an MoU with Indian OIS Advanced Technologies for the manufacturing of tactical drones in India, at the ongoing Paris Air Show. The companies will collaborate for setting up a manufacturing plant through an industrial licence. This will allow a hundred drones intended for the Indian market to be produced locally.

The LH-D is a multi-sensor tactical UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) with automatic take-off and landing capabilities. UAVs are generally used for military or non-military securitymissions.

The drone is a new kind of product, which can also be reconfigured as a manned controlled version or a conventional aircraft called OPV (optionally piloted vehicle), LH Aviation CEO Sebastien Lefebvre told HT.

Declining to comment on financial details of the deal, Lefebvre said the cost per UAV is generally about 4 million euros, including the global system, which includes transfer of technology, consumables and services.

The MoU has been signed for drones with a payload of 280 kg with an autonomy of 24 hours. These drones run at a speed of 61-185 knots and can be deployed quickly as they have removable wings. They can also be sent into any field of operation and be ready in less than one hour.

The operating cost of the drone is below 80 euros per hour of flight.

“Our relationship with LH Aviation has enabled us to bring a flexible, advanced technology medium-altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV platform, which can be customised for Indian requirements,” OIS-AT chairman Sanjay Bhandari said.
Indranil
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Indranil »

From a tender for landing gear, it is evident that ADE is building a 15 kg UAV.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by member_22539 »

^Any idea which one?
Indranil
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Indranil »

No. I knew about the rotary wing UAV that they are building. But this one is new.

I am also very interested to know what happened to Abhyas HEAT.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Sid »

why they need landing gear for such a small low endurance UAV? Where they intend to land it?
Indranil
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Indranil »

It is probably for a 1:5 flying scale model of Rustom-II, that ADE is building. It will be RC-controlled with a range of 2 km and an endurance of 45 minutes. It will have an 2 IC-engines and is scheduled to need a 250 mtr. touch down role.

But then the MLGs of the model don't match that of Rustom II. I don't know. :-?
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Indranil »

Rustom-1 drone to monitor maritime boundary with Sri Lanka
By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 26th June 2015

The international maritime boundary line (IMLB) between India and Sri Lanka, frequently violated by fishermen, gun-runners and smugglers, will soon be under tighter watch by the Rustom-1 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) --- a drone developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).

The DRDO is working with the navy to fit an Automatic Identification System (AIS) on the Rustom-1, to identify Indian fishing vessels along the IMLB. The AIS transmits an “interrogator” signal that reflects back from transponders fitted on every Indian fishing boat.

That would allow the Rustom-1 to identify Indian fishing boats, and to quickly detect those straying into Sri Lankan waters. In such an event, or if it detects an unidentified boat in Indian waters, the UAV alerts a ground control station (GCS) on the Indian coast through a real-time digital data link.

Currently, the Indian Navy monitors this maritime boundary --- running across the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar --- with Dornier-228 manned aircraft, and Israeli-built Heron and Searcher UAVs. These operate from INS Parundu, a naval air base near Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu. Since these aircraft do not have AIS systems, they cannot differentiate Indian vessels from Sri Lankan.

Colombo complains that Tamil Nadu fishermen deliberately poach from Sri Lanka’s rich fishing grounds, which are exploited by fewer fishing vessels than India’s crowded waters. Earlier this year, Premier Ranil Wickramasinghe controversially threatened Indian fishermen that they could be shot if they poached on the livelihood of fishermen from Jaffna, Sri Lanka’s northernmost province.

According to figures submitted by the government to the Madras High Court in 2012, the Sri Lankan Navy has fired 167 times on Indian fishing vessels over the preceding two decades, killing 85 and injuring 180 fishermen. Sri Lanka also arrested 746 Indian fishermen, duly releasing all but five.

Tamil Nadu’s fishing community demands the Indian navy and coast guard must protect them from the Sri Lankan Navy.

For that reason, the navy has welcomed the DRDO’s plan to modify the Rustom-1 for this task by fitting it with AIS. The Rustom-1 was never intended to enter service; it was meant to be a “flying test bed” for proving sensors and data links meant for the Rustom-2, which would be operationally deployed as a system much like the successful US Predator drone.

Now, however, the navy has agreed the Rustom-1 could conduct maritime surveillance, after the DRDO enhances it to fly missions of 8-10 hours. “We are replacing the existing data link, which weighs about 14 kilogrammes, with a newer data link that weighs just 4 kilogrammes. We will shave off another 25 kilogrammes from the flying package. That will give us the ‘persistence’ we need, which the means the ability to remain for long over the mission area”, explains a senior DRDO project manager.

The DRDO’s key operational challenge is to transmit data from the UAV all through an 8-hour surveillance mission, during which the Rustom-1 would fly about 1,500 kilometres. The data link with the GCS, however, has a range of just 200 kilometres. Before the Rustom-1 goes out of range from one GCS, it would have to transfer the data link, in mid-flight, to another closer GCS. The DRDO says this challenge has already been met.

What remains unresolved is the task of fitting AIS transponders in the tens of thousands of fishing boats that operate from Tamil Nadu. After the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, a national coastal security task force had decided to fit AIS transponders on all of India’s two lakh fishing vessels. This has not been done.

“We will take 6-8 months to fit the Rustom with an AIS and make it lighter. Six months more will go in testing the final platform. So the government has about a year to fit all fishing vessels with AIS. Without that, the initiative would serve no purpose”, says the DRDO project manager.

DRDO’s Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is leading the Rustom project. The Rustom-1 flying platform is a commercially purchased kit from Rutan. However, the Rustom-2 has been developed from scratch with a Rs 1,540 crore budget sanctioned in February 2011. It is intended to remain on station for up to 24 hours with a payload of over 350 kilogrammes. Private firms, Taneja Aerospace and Trivan Industries are developing the Rustom-2 airframe.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by deejay »

indranilroy wrote:It is probably for a 1:5 flying scale model of Rustom-II, that ADE is building. It will be RC-controlled with a range of 2 km and an endurance of 45 minutes. It will have an 2 IC-engines and is scheduled to need a 250 mtr. touch down role.

But then the MLGs of the model don't match that of Rustom II. I don't know. :-?
They have asked for 06 sets only so it is a limited production thing. Most like you are right about it being a scale model.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by sum »

For that reason, the navy has welcomed the DRDO’s plan to modify the Rustom-1 for this task by fitting it with AIS. The Rustom-1 was never intended to enter service; it was meant to be a “flying test bed” for proving sensors and data links meant for the Rustom-2, which would be operationally deployed as a system much like the successful US Predator drone.

Now, however, the navy has agreed the Rustom-1 could conduct maritime surveillance, after the DRDO enhances it to fly missions of 8-10 hours. “We are replacing the existing data link, which weighs about 14 kilogrammes, with a newer data link that weighs just 4 kilogrammes. We will shave off another 25 kilogrammes from the flying package. That will give us the ‘persistence’ we need, which the means the ability to remain for long over the mission area”, explains a senior DRDO project manager.
This is why the IN is so loved on BRF ( compared to IA and IAF) ! :mrgreen:
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Singha »

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/kondor-e.html
it seems NPO mash has exported a kondor-e rorsat to south africa under a long classified program. it was launched dec,2014

coming to similar sats for india, we first launched Risat-1, which per isro pic has a flat panel of radar
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n120 ... iagram.jpg
http://api.ning.com/files/ogE19DGjM8f0O ... height=600
http://americaspace.com/wp-content/uplo ... AUNCH2.jpg

then we launched risat-2 which is externally identical to the israeli techsar satellite and may infact be just a rename.
it has a parabolic dish antenna
http://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-e4 ... _webp=true

does any STEM hawk know if we are moving on to bigger satellites capable of not just mapping the ground for targets and picking up new constructions but near real time maritime surveillance of the high seas and target locating ?

i have no idea how a helicopter crash is deduced from this risat2 image but perhaps the resolution to zoom is much higher in the real image
http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ty7U5Ub7vbw/UBaQ5 ... imgmax=800
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Singha »

seems risat-1 is our own c-band thing and risat-2 is a cots techsar in x-band.
http://www.aame.in/2012/07/pakistan-und ... ndian.html
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Indranil »

From the tender by ADE for EO payload for a mini UAV, one can glean at the following specifications.
Platform Details
The operational details of airborne platform are given as follows:
a) Type of Platform : Mini UAV
b) Mounting location of Payload : Belly mounted
c) Altitude of Operation : up to 15,000 ft ASL.
d) Altitude ceiling : 16,000ft ASL
e) Endurance : 6- 8 Hr
f) Operating Speed : 100 – 175 KMPH
g) Maximum Speed : 175 KMPH

Requirements / Specifications of EO Payload system
A. Mission Requirements
a) The Stabilized EO system shall have three EO payloads
b) The payloads shall be (i) Daylight Color CCD camera &
(ii) MWIR FLIR (Thermal imager)
(iii) Miniature Laser Range finder (LRF)
c) The Day light Color CCD camera shall meet a recognition range of ≥ 7.5 km of a 3.5 x 3.5 mm military vehicle considering visual target contrast of ≤ 35 % and visibility of ~ 23 km.
d) The Day light Color CCD camera shall meet a detection range of ≥ 18 km of a 3.5 x 3.5 mm military vehicle considering visual target contrast of ≤ 35 % and visibility of ~ 23 km.
e) The MWIR FLIR system shall meet a recognition range of ≥ 7.5 km of a 3.5 x 3.5 mm military vehicle considering thermal contrast of ≤ 3 deg C & visibility of ~ 23 km.
f) The MWIR FLIR system shall meet a detection range of ≥ 18 km of a 3.5 x 3.5 mm military vehicle considering thermal contrast of ≤ 3 deg C & visibility of ~ 23 km
g) The laser range finder shall find the slant range from a minimum range of 100 meters to a maximum range of 20 km.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by shiv »

If true this is the happiest news I have read in recent days
http://idrw.org/indigenous-kaveri-engin ... -aircraft/
After having failed to achieve the required thrust to power Light Combat Aircraft, the indigenously developed Kaveri engine will now be used to power Indian Unmanned Combat Aircraft, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, Parrikar said the total expenditure incurred on development of Kaveri engine so far is Rs 2,101 crore.

“Aero engine developed by DRDO has not achieved the required thrust to power Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Therefore, it has been decided to use Kaveri derivative engine (“dry” engine) for powering Indian Unmanned Combat Aircraft,” he said.

The project for development of Kaveri engine was sanctioned in 1989 with probable date of completion in 1996, which was extended to 2009. Government has further approved its continuation within the cost ceiling.

The major reasons for non-completion of project within the time-schedule were technological difficulties faced due to complexities of engine system, non-availability of raw materials, critical components, lack of infrastructure, manufacturing and test facilities within the country, Parrikar said.

Non-availability of skilled or technical manpower in the field of aero-engine technology and increase in scope during development were also some of the reasons, he said.

Idrw.org can confirm following milestones were achieved from Kaveri engine Project

Successful completion of 73 hours High Altitude testing and 57 hours trial on Flying Test Bed have proved level of technological capability and maturity.

> Full Authority Digital Engine Control System has been designed, developed and qualified indigenously.

> Twelve materials have been indigenously developed and type certified.

> Total of 9 Kaveri prototypes and 4 Kaveri Core Engine prototypes have been developed and accumulated more than 2550 hours of engine testing.

> Kaveri Engine was integrated with IL-76 Aircraft and flight tested.

> Tacit knowledge acquired by the scientists are being applied in aerospace technology and other disciplines.
member_23370
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by member_23370 »

Will the AURA be double engined or single? I think Rustom 2 is more of a priority currently.
shiv
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by shiv »

Bheeshma wrote:Will the AURA be double engined or single? I think Rustom 2 is more of a priority currently.
This image shows a single engine:
Image
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by srai »

^^^

Shiv, that shows "puny" weapons bays with only two LGBs ;)
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Post by member_23370 »

Well if the net all up weight is to be less than 15 tonnes as per wiki I hope it can carry at least 2 tonne of payload. 4- 500 lb PGM would be ideal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRDO_AURA

I doubt Kaveri can manage that with one engine. Maybe 10 tonne all up weight or less.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by shiv »

srai wrote:^^^

Shiv, that shows "puny" weapons bays with only two LGBs ;)
But it will be able to carry 8 SDBs so there!
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by shiv »

Bheeshma wrote:Well if the net all up weight is to be less than 15 tonnes as per wiki I hope it can carry at least 2 tonne of payload. 4- 500 lb PGM would be ideal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRDO_AURA

I doubt Kaveri can manage that with one engine. Maybe 10 tonne all up weight or less.
Well - the image may make me feel happy - but I say screw the bomb load - let them get a flying stealthy UAV off the ground first using a Kaveri. And I hope they hurry up and get on with it.
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Post by Vayutuvan »

Just a couple of days back I was browsing through a book called a theory of the drone. I am sure A_Gupta would be very interested as he (?) was a little concerned oh 'bout a year back that drone killings are becoming too impersonal. While I don't lose any sleep over whether the necessary pest-e-shahid needs to be carried out with a sense of remorse and empathyor not, I am recording the reference in this thread in case it is of some use to him (?) and others of similar predilections.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Thakur_B »

Bheeshma wrote:Will the AURA be double engined or single? I think Rustom 2 is more of a priority currently.
Dr. Saraswat's IIT-B presentation shows it as twin engined.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Austin »

Indian Company Reveals UAV Partnership with AeroVironment
Bangalore, India-based Dynamatic Technologies is co-developing a new generation lightweight unmanned aerial system (UAS) with AeroVironment of the U.S. It is named the Cheel (Hindi for Eagle) and will be based on AeroVironment’s proven expertise, with the design evolving from the 5 kg Raven and 12 kg Puma UAS. The project is one of the six “pathfinder projects” identified under the U.S.-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) earlier this year.

“The first Cheel will fly eleven months after formal approval,” Udayant Malhoutra, Dynamatic CEO and managing director told AIN. The Indian company is already a supplier to Airbus, Bell and Boeing and has built an advanced avionics and communications laboratory; payload development facility; composites facility; and an assembly and testing facility for small UAS in Bangalore.

Denying recent media reports that the Indian Army had rejected the Raven, Malhoutra said that the Cheel would be different from the Raven. “It has a different signature incorporating the engineering capability of Dynamatic,” he said. Tom Cunningham, AeroVironment'’s vice president for strategic partnerships, said last February at the Bangalore airshow: “We’re going to take the form factor of Raven and add some features of Puma. We’re moving the propeller forward…it will fly higher with longer wings, and be easy to launch.” AIN understands that the Cheel will have solar power from wing panels, a development that is foreseen for the Puma on AeroVironment’s website.

The Puma is designed for land-based and maritime operations and the Cheel will similarly be capable of landing in water or on land. It will also have the Puma’s precision navigation system with secondary GPS, which provides greater positional accuracy and reliability. The Cheel will be operated from a ground control station (GCS) that is compatible with all AeroVironment’s tactical ISR UAS. Dynamatic has conducted a number of trials of these UAS in mountainous, desert and jungle terrain along with homeland security-related forces, to check vagaries of the environment and to evaluate the needs of users. The Indian company was also involved in a U.S.-India exercise using the Raven UAS.

While the Cheel is the designated project under the DTTI, “the partnership with AeroVironment is for a family of UAS…[we will] create variants that offer a range of capabilities,” said Malhoutra. The partnership is exclusive. On the possibility of extending it to the Global Observer high-altitude long-endurance UAS being developed by AeroVironment, Malhoutra said, “Potentially we can work on anything. There has to be business rationale for both [companies].”
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Singha »

details on the huge chinese divine eagle radar UAV

http://www.popsci.com/closer-look-china ... agle-drone
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Neela »

Chanced upon these slides from UAV engines from VRDE

http://docslide.us/documents/drdo-vrde- ... -uavs.html
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Post by Vipul »

India To Buy Attack Drones From Israel For $400 Million.

India will buy 10 armed drones from Israel at a cost of $400 million, the Economic Times reported Friday, citing sources within India’s ministry of defense. Officials from Israel Aerospace Industries were currently in India and exploring joint production of drones, the report added.

The Heron TP drones will be operated by India’s air force, and their procurement was being fast-tracked by India’s federal government. The deal was approved by India last week and the drones might be commissioned within a year, the paper reported.

India, which already uses an unarmed version of the drone for surveillance and intelligence gathering, sees the armed drones giving it an edge in combating cross-border scenarios, the paper reported. They can carry payloads of over 1,000 kilograms (about 2,200 pounds) and will be fitted with air-to-ground missiles.

The drones are particularly useful in attacking targets in scenarios that pose a risk to the lives of soldiers, the newspaper reported, citing the officials.

India is investing in a program to build its own unmanned aerial vehicles, all commonly called drones, but is some years away from actually commissioning one for use in combat, the paper reported.

The program, started in 2006, is being developed by the country’s umbrella organization for defense technology, the Defense Research and Development Organization, and the contract to build the first version, Rustom 1, was awarded to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Bharat Electronics Ltd., Mint newspaper reported in 2010.

In January this year, India invited private companies to take on the serial production of Rustom 2, the second, more advanced version, Defense World reported. The Indian government has also offered to bear 80 percent of the development costs, according to the report.
Singha
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Singha »

china is becoming one of worlds largest producers of commercial drones. this will no doubt help their UAV progs in military side.

http://yuneec.com/
http://www.dji.com/

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-i ... 2015-09-10

yuneec will be launch platform of the qualcomm snapdragon 801 SOC for drones.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Thakur_B »

Singha wrote: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-i ... 2015-09-10

yuneec will be launch platform of the qualcomm snapdragon 801 SOC for drones.

That is very interesting. Use commercial LTE bands to send/receive high bandwidth media/data. The OS could be a fork of android so as to utilise app writers for applications. Very very interesting.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Gyan »

HAL got Rs 1500 crores for R&D, manufactering line and 10+ Rustom-H.

While Israelis get Rs. 3000 crores for 10 Herons. Import in India wins.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Gyan »

HAL was required to put in internal Rs. 400 crores to produce 8 (?) prototypes and then GoI gave order for another 10 (+2?) for Rs. 1500 crores (which includes reimbursement of internal funding). Hence for indigenous make in India we give only Rs. 1500 crore for R&D, manufactering line (including of engines) and 20 Rustom-2s. Which means roughly USD 10 million per Rustom but USD 40 million per Heron.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by member_29172 »

1500 is still quite a lot given that it's been produced in India. It's 1/5th of isro budget (7600 crores). If ISRO can pop out multiple satellites every year, producing a decent uav shouldn't be that big of a deal

HAL just seems to be grossly mismanaged.they should probably upgrade the assembly lines, it looks like it hasn't been changed since the 80s. I hate to be "that guy" but the assembly lines of TATAs rickshaw manufacturing seem more advanced and automated than HALs.

Upgrading the basics will hopefully help a lot.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by akimalik »

Not sure if this on the DRDO Partnerships is the right place for this ...

India revealing secrets of its predator-like Rustom drone to boost military
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Nitesh »

source: irdw, so please take it FWIW

http://idrw.org/all-out-effort-to-carry ... this-month
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Thakur_B »

http://www.spsmai.com/exclusive/?id=506 ... equirement

Army's new requirement for mini UAVs from Indian vendors.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Indranil »

RCI and NAL are going to build a turbojet engine for an UCAV, that RCI is developing.

Some details:
1. Type: Single stage, single spool, centrifugal/mixed compressor, single stage axial turbine
2. Uninstalled Thrust: 275 Kgf @ S.L
3. SFC: <1.1 Kg/Kgf/hr
4. Operation time: 1000 s
5. Weight <50 Kg
6. Length <700 mm
7. Diameter <320 mm
8. Fuel Jet A, A1
9. Engine starting Pyro starting in flight version, Air/Electric for ground test
10. Engine operating altitude SL – 8 Km
11. Nominal Cruise mach no. 0.8
12. Features for Engine Control: Fuel Flow Controller with FADEC (Flight version-RCI Scope)
It sounds more like a cruise missile weighing approximately 450-500 kgs and with a range of approximately 250 kms.

Some other details:
1. A number of companies worldwide are engaged in the development and manufacture of small gas turbines for specific applications. The major companies like Garret of Allied Signals, Sundstrand of Solar Turbines, Turbomecca, Micro turbo, Williams, Saturn, etc., are manufacturing small engines for specific application. These engines are not available to India for Unmanned aerial vehicle application.
2. The Propulsion Division of NAL is working on the Development of components for 1 kN (101.9 kgf) thrust small gas turbine engine funded by CSIR under 12th five year plan.
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by SaiK »



superb!
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by Thakur_B »

ADE has put out couple of tenders for weapons bay teast rig and weapons bay door operating system. Does it mean they have started working on Ghatak/AURA/ISUAV?
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Re: UAVs, Drones, Remote Surveillance Tech

Post by member_22539 »

SaiK wrote:

superb!

One step closer to Skynet. Fvck yeah!!!!
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