India's Current & Future UAVs & UCAVs

[indian_sukhoi]

Copy pasting some reliable info about Harpy Drones

Destroying Integrated Air Defences!!

operational deployment :
the first fighter lunches 2 Samson drones
the drone has 200 km range so it's lunched from a safe distance .
the drone is built to create the radar signature of a jet fighter.
enemy radars light up like a pinball machine
each drone has a rad sensor ,thru triangulation type and approx distance of enemy radar is found .
strategic radars are annihilated by harop which cannot be spotted by radar
follow up attacks are made by the second plane against tactical ads supplemented by more harop attacks

http://defenceforumindia.com/milita...ing-integrated-air-defences-israeli-syle.html

Best way to destroy a Radar!!,...........Saves the aircraft and the pilot from unnecessary risk.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Got some doubths on Harpy!!.............The Article say its fire-and-forget type.

Can it send data back to base like the other UAVs?
Does it mean it can only be used for suicide role?
What the difference between a LACM and Harpy. The command can send a cruise missile for that role.

Kamakazi role will only be used if there not much time to send a fighter or missile to the target.

UAVs like these must be cost around 2-6 million per piece. It would be better to send the data to the command and launch a cruise missile. Cruise missile carry more payload than UAVs

Harpy is more or less an anti-radar UAV similar to a long range anti radiation missile to take out enemy radar and SAM installations. How many other UAV's can function in this manner?? India has not developed a GPS type system yet. So to function without having a GPS command type structure is impressive;there is a ground control center to program missions. Cruise missiles would be over kill for radar in most cases. If we can have Rustom fire missiles like Predator fires hellfires and have an anti radiation seeker it would be an ideal UAV.(datalinked to indigenous GPS)

MORE INFO BELOW

 

[LETHALFORCE]

cross posted

Defence and Weapon technology: Harpy ---- UAV

Harpy ---- UAV

HARPY is a lethal UAV designed to detect, attack and destroy radar emitters.
Harpy is a "Fire-and-Forget" all-weather, day/night autonomous weapon system, launched from a ground vehicle behind the battle zone or from ship based launchers.

HARPY effectively suppresses hostile SAM and radar sites for long duration, by detecting, attacking and destroying radar targets with a very high hit accuracy.

HARPY provides the most effective solution to the hostile radar problem, at the lowest price. HARPY is in production, is already operational with several nations Air Forces, and is currently available. Weighs 135 kg, 2.1 meter long, 2.7 meter span and with range of 500 km. It is sealed in its sealed launcher/container, to endure harsh battlefield conditions. It can be fueled or defueled in the launcher, therefore retaining its readiness at all time. The system uses periodical built-in test to maintain full readiness.

The Harpy mission is planned and programmed in the battery ground control center, as an independent mission, or planned in accordance with other manned or unmanned systems. The drone flies autonomously enroute to its patrol area its radar seeker head constantly search for hostile radars. Once suspicious radar is acquired, Harpy compares the signal to the library of hostile emitters, and prioritizes the threat. If the target is verified, the drone enters an attack mode, as it transitions into a near vertical dive, homing on the signal. The drone is set to detonate its warhead just above the target, to generate the highest damage to the antennae, and surrounding facilities. If the radar is turned off before Harpy strikes, the drone can abort the attack and continue loitering. If no radar was spotted during the mission, the drone is programmed to self destruct over a designated area. Follow-on systems which are already proposed to foreign clients, are calling for a combination of seeker and killer drones that will enable visual identification and attack of targets even after they turn off their emitters.


Harpy Delivered to Turkey

In a deal dating back to 1999, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have taken delivery of a number on Harpy lethal unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. (IAI). The exact number is unknown, but reports suggest that more than 100 lethal UAVs were delivered.

IAI's MBT Division develop and produce the Harpy system, which is an attack UAV used in the suppression of enemy aerial defences (SEAD) role. It is a 'Fire-and-Forget' all-weather, day/night autonomous weapon system, launched from a ground vehicle mainly against hostile radar emitters, amongst others.

In June 1999 MBT and Raytheon Missile Systems teamed to market the more advanced Combat UAV Target Locate and Strike System (CUTLASS), based on the proven Harpy's UAV type airframe.
Harpy is currently operational with several Air Forces globally.

Harpy Delivered to India

According to media reports, the Indian army has purchased a number of the armed Harpy drone, produced by Israel Aircraft Industries.

 

[JAISWAL]

DRDO Tests Lakshya-II Target Drone

DRDO Statement: Flying at sea skimming height of about 15 meters at DRDO's test range near Balasore, Lakshya-II the advanced version of DRDO's Pilotless Target Aircraft today demonstrated its full capability. In a flight lasting over 30 minutes, it was made to dive down from an altitude of around 800 m to just 12 m and maintained required altitude for the specified time before demonstrating auto climb-out. The entire flight was pre-programed and was totally successful. It demonstrated various technologies and sub-systems including software correction to auto rudder scheme done to prevent loss of mission, engaging and flying in way point navigation mode while carrying 2 tow targets. During the flight one of the tow targets was released and the other was deployed while way point navigation was on. This was the 10th flight of Lakshya-II PTA and this was the first time that the ultimate capability of the Lakshya-II, was demonstrated achieving all the user's objectives. Lakshya-II has been designed and developed by the Bangalore base Aeronautical Development Establishment, a premiere DRDO lab specializing in UAVs and flight control systems.

DRDO Tests Lakshya-II Target Drone

 

[JAISWAL]

Lakshya-II
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[LETHALFORCE]

CROSS POSTED

SAR LENSES PLANNED FOR RUSTOM

 

[nitesh]

DRDO lab tests UAVs

According a press release from the DRDO, three Micro Air Vehicles named Black Kite, Golden Hawk & Pushpak with sizes ranging from 300 to 450 mm with a maximum 'all up' weight of 300 gms to 500 gms have been flight demonstrated and these vehicles have an endurance of 30 minutes and carry a miniature daylight video camera as payload that relays the imagery of the gaming area to ground control during its flight. The video and telemetry range is about two kilometres.

 

[naive01]

such micro UAV's could be used for snooping around lol

 

[Godless-Kafir]

Why cant they use the Kaveri Turbo fan instead of the turbo jet on the Lakshya?

GTRE says it can be used.
DRDO says its Kaveri engine can power combat drones, warships and possibly trains - Times Of India

 

[shuvo@y2k10]

drdo has been making such claim for the last decade ever since it became clear to them that the kaveri will not be able to power lca-the project for which it was conceived.i think they should stop making such claims until they make something which can be seen on the ground

 

[Kunal Biswas]

IAF plans separate UAV cadre

Increasing the dependence on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) like former Air Chief P"ˆV"ˆNaik terms, is not an "out of the box" concept for the Indian Air Force (IAF) anymore.

In what would be a significant move once it comes through, the IAF is already in talks to have a separate cadre for the RPVs and is in the process of drafting a proposal to be sent to the Centre.

"Just like the fighter pilots, transport pilots and so on, this will be a role-specific cadre, so that the officers are trained for a specific role from the word go," a senior official said.
The IAF, which already uses"ˆUAVs, is in the process of multiplying the forces. And DRDO's Rustom and Lakshya-II are also expected to be inducted into the IAF.

Air Marshal Dhiraj Kukreja, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Headquarters Training Command, Bangalore said: "...There are talks about sending a proposal for this. We currently discussing various options."

Speaking to Deccan Herald over phone he said: "...It would be part of existing squadrons but said that the numbers might not to the same tune. Flying squadrons have about 12-15 aircraft."

Indicating that the procurement/acquisition of the UAVs in the future will be based on very careful assement so as to balance between the manpower and the role of such vehicles, sources said that the number of UAVs however will not be as high as 12 or 15.
The IAF"ˆthough, is already training its personnel for this specific role as the air force"ˆalready has some UAVs in its fleet.

But Kukreja said: "At present we are diverting people who are medically incapable of being fighter piolts into this role but with the kind of advances the medical field is making, we will soon see the number of such people reduce. And that is where this proposal comes in handy."

Kukreja, while pointing out the importance of the role of UAVs, as successfully demonstrated by Israel and the US––both have separate cadres––still emphasised on the man behind the mission.

Thereby, he said, recruitment of officers or personnel specifically for a role will prove beneficial in the long ru, given the assessed dynamics of future warfare.

Threatening environment

Increasing threatening environments is pushing the IAF to increase its dependence on UAVs and sources say that the IAF is also discussing options of inducting Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) will also increase.

While a full fleet of such vehicles from Israel––the Hunters––is expected to be acquired, the IAF will also have additional combat vehicles in the future.

He said that depending on the nature of UAV, they could be deployed as independent unit out in the front, or made to be part of a station or (hand-launched type) be deployed with the infantry.

While Kukreja, who is retiring by the end of this month, could not confirm if the IAF's personal branch has gone ahead with the proposal, Air Marshal (retd) B"ˆK Pandey said that India is already slow in initiating such a process.

Well-placed sources in the South Block said that even if the government approves creation of a new cadre, specifically for this purpose, it is highly unlikely that the Centre would authorise for additional personnel. This would mean that the IAF"ˆwill have to continue diverting fighters to perform this role.

Also, a fresh training module would be needed once a new cadre gets its sanction and new types of vehicles are acquired. These would, senior officer said, be introduced at the Training institues of the IAF.

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::

 

[bhramos]

Brevel KZO German UAV Rheinmetall Landsysteme

it would be good for India........

 

[anudeepk31]

DRDO, IAF carry out secret calibration exercise

BALASORE: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in coordination with the Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel conducted a secret calibration exercise over Bay of Bengal on Wednesday. The air trial involved a Pilot-less Target Aircraft (PTA) Lakshya-I and fighter aircraft Mirage 2000.
Sources at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Odisha coast said as a part of the exercise a digital version of Lakshya-I, flown from the launching complex - II, was targeted by dummy weapons fired from the Mirage.

DRDO, IAF carry out secret calibration exercise - southindia - Orissa - ibnlive
�"The PTA was flown at about 1.10 pm. Soon the fighter aircraft Mirage 2000 took off from the Kalaikunda Air Force base in West Bengal and successfully targeted the tow body suspended from the Lakshya," a scientist involved with the mission told 'The Express'.
�The exercise was conducted to test the target location and precision firing capability of pilots of Mirage 2000 fighter jets of the IAF. The exercise was tracked through radars. "The exercise which is also known as a target simulation test was aimed at gauging the killing precision and ascertaining the timing of attack by the fighter pilots," he said.
�The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Lakshya was, however, used as a support system providing the target for the IAF pilots.
PTA is a subsonic re-usable aerial target system and is remote-controlled from the ground.
Recently, two trials of Lakshya-II and three tests of Lakshya-I had been conducted with improved engines and other sub-systems developed by the DRDO to check the viability of the engines and duration enhancement.
The State Government, meanwhile, has evinced interest to use PTA for Maoists operations. Scientists from the Aeronautical Development Establishment, Bengaluru, were present during the exercise.

 

[SPIEZ]

Most think UAV is PTA but its not, Website people can call it UAV in a sense but its use are not like UAV..

I don`t now abt Sticky but their is one more thread which can be merge..

Kunal don't you think the tehcnologies in the PTA and the uav are very similar, such as the FCS, Remote Piloting and gyroscopes and many more ?

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Kunal don't you think the tehcnologies in the PTA and the uav are very similar, such as the FCS, Remote Piloting and gyroscopes and many more ?

Yes on mechanical level but in electronics its different, PTA are pre programmed Vehicle where UAV are Remote Piloting Vehicles..

 

[john70]

UAV'S in present scenario

Many countries all over the world are in race to develop the UAVs with latest technologies and capabilities. The future of airforce all round the world is going to change with maddening speed. India needs to invest in these technologies.
The Israelis and U.S. were the pioneers of these technologies.
The US was forced to use UAVs in Vietnam war – quoted from wiki : Only on February 26, 1973, during testimony before the United States House Committee on Appropriations, did the U.S. military officially confirm that they had been utilizing UAVs inSoutheast Asia (Vietnam).[11] While over 5,000 U.S. airmen had been killed and over 1,000 more were either missing in action (MIA), or captured (prisoners of war/POW); the USAF100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing had flown approximately 3,435 UAV missions during the war,[12] at a cost of about 554 UAVs lost to all causes. In the words of USAF GeneralGeorge S. Brown, Commander, Air Force Systems Command in 1972, "The only reason we need (UAVs) is that we don't want to needlessly expend the man in the cockpit."[13] Later that same year, General John C. Meyer, Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command, stated, "we let the drone do the high-risk flying ... the loss rate is high, but we are willing to risk more of them ... they save lives!"[13]
The Israelis in arab wars :
During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syrian missile batteries in Lebanon caused heavy damage to Israeli fighter jets. As a result, Israel developed the first modern UAV. Israel pioneered the use of UAVs for real-time surveillance, electronic warfare and decoys.[14] [15] [16] The images and radar decoying provided by these UAVs helped Israel to completely neutralize the Syrian air defenses at the start of the 1982 Lebanon War, resulting in no pilots downed.[17]
The common classification of UAVs is :
The classifications of UAVs are fairly fluid, and can be classified on basis of performance aspects or on the basis of missions. The one classification that is widely used is done by the US military, which profiles UAVs into tiers based on altitude; but other factors include endurance, speed, range and size.
Tier N/A: Small/micro UAV
Netra
Tier I: Low altitude, long endurance UAV
IAI Searcher, RQ-2 Pioneer
Tier II: Medium altitude, long endurance UAV (MALE).
MQ-1 Predator, IAI Heron
Tier II+: High altitude, long endurance UAV (HALE/HAE).
RQ-4 Global Hawk
Tier III-: High altitude, long endurance but low-observable
RQ-170 Sentinel
The medium altitude long endurance ( MALE) eg MQ-1 predator and reaper are being used to super success against terrorists in Af-pak. MQ-1 Predator UAVs armed with Hellfire missiles are now used as platforms for hitting ground targets in sensitive areas.
The Dassault nEURON is delta winged stealth UCAV is being developed by France in cooperation with several countries. Our AURA pictures are close to this UCAV.

 

[JAISWAL]

Navy UAV crashes near Vizag
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.
Navy UAV crashes near Vizag | idrw.org
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An Indian Navy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into a hill at Ganesh Nagar near Gajuwaka RTC depot on Thursday afternoon with residents in the area which is close to Eastern Naval Command (ENC) grateful that a major tragedy had been averted. Several factories, like HPCL, Coromandel and Zinc are located in the vicinity but no loss of life or property has been reported.
The accident occurred between 2.30-3 pm when Israeli-origin searcher, MK II UAV, was returning to base following a sortie which, rumours suggest, was flown to reconnoitre Maoist stronghold areas as part of Operation Green Hunt.
This is the second time that a Navy aircraft has crashed in the last two years. In February 2010, a Chetak helicopter crashed into Sarada river between Anakapalle and Tummapala, 55 km from here. The pilot was killed and three officers were injured in the incident.
There was a big explosion seconds after the UAV crashed and the aircraft was reduced to ashes within minutes of hitting the hill. Thankfully, the accident site was 150 metres away from a densely populated slum that is situated on the hillside.
Within half-an-hour of the crash, two Navy choppers appeared overhead to conduct an aerial survey. The ENC personnel recovered the black box from the accident site.
Sources said that the UAV belonged to the southern command. The MK II tactical aircraft is used for surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance and damage assessment. "UAVs are used by the Navy during exercises and operational deployments," a defence expert said.
About 5,000 people gathered at the spot soon after the crash. "I came out of my house after hearing a loud explosion to see smoke rising from the hill," Mallikarjuna Rao, a resident of Ganesh Nagar, said. The Navy has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances which led to the crash.

 

[H.A.]

Navy UAV crashes near Vizag
.
.
Navy UAV crashes near Vizag | idrw.org
.
An Indian Navy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into a hill at Ganesh Nagar near Gajuwaka RTC depot on Thursday afternoon with residents in the area which is close to Eastern Naval Command (ENC) grateful that a major tragedy had been averted. Several factories, like HPCL, Coromandel and Zinc are located in the vicinity but no loss of life or property has been reported.
The accident occurred between 2.30-3 pm when Israeli-origin searcher, MK II UAV, was returning to base following a sortie which, rumours suggest, was flown to reconnoitre Maoist stronghold areas as part of Operation Green Hunt.
This is the second time that a Navy aircraft has crashed in the last two years. In February 2010, a Chetak helicopter crashed into Sarada river between Anakapalle and Tummapala, 55 km from here. The pilot was killed and three officers were injured in the incident.
There was a big explosion seconds after the UAV crashed and the aircraft was reduced to ashes within minutes of hitting the hill. Thankfully, the accident site was 150 metres away from a densely populated slum that is situated on the hillside.
Within half-an-hour of the crash, two Navy choppers appeared overhead to conduct an aerial survey. The ENC personnel recovered the black box from the accident site.
Sources said that the UAV belonged to the southern command. The MK II tactical aircraft is used for surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance and damage assessment. "UAVs are used by the Navy during exercises and operational deployments," a defence expert said.
About 5,000 people gathered at the spot soon after the crash. "I came out of my house after hearing a loud explosion to see smoke rising from the hill," Mallikarjuna Rao, a resident of Ganesh Nagar, said. The Navy has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances which led to the crash.

At first the locals thought that the aircraft had passengers and they took great pain and effort to reach up the hill with water buckets to douse the fire and rescue the passengers, however they later realised that it was a UAV.

 

[nitesh]

'First flight of UAV Rustom-2 scheduled in Feb, 2014' - The Economic Times

BANGALORE: The first flight test of indigenously developed UAV Rustom-2, set to be used solely for defence purposes, would take place in February 2014, a top Aeronautical Development Establishment official said today.

"Designing of Rustom-2 has been completed, purchase orders have been placed and we are on schedule to fly for the first time in February 2014," ADE Director P S Krishnan told reporters.

 

[lambu]

ADE Finalizes Rustom-2 UAV Flight, Reveals Future Drone Projects for Defence

ADE Finalizes Rustom-2 UAV Flight, Reveals Future Drone Projects for Defence - Defence Now