India-US Air Launched UAV prototype to begin testing by September
By Vipin Vijayan | First Published Feb 12, 2023, 4:05 PM ISTThe testing of the UAV prototype from a C-130J aircraft will occur over a range in northern India as well as in the United States. Vipin Vijayan, who is covering the Aero India 2023 being held in Bengaluru, reports
The Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle prototype, being jointly developed by India and the United States, could enter the flight testing phase by September 2023.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Aero India 2023, Major General Julian C Cheater, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, said: "With regards to the air-launched UAV, we are expecting that we will conduct flight-testing as early as the fall of 2023. That will occur over a range in northern India as well as the United States. Originally, we will develop the sensors on that package. We expect that the UAV will be launched from a C-130J aircraft. This is a seven-year project arrangement. That signifies a long-term agreement and also involves sharing technology. That is an agreed step in the relationship."
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The air-launched UAV project agreement was concluded in July 2021 under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI). The UAV is being designed and developed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory, India's Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force.
Major General Cheater's remarks come at a time when the United States is exploring avenues to co-produce and co-develop with India in the defence sector.
Major General Cheater said, "As democracies bookending the Indo-Pacific, the United States and India share a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. That shared vision is strengthened by world-class events like Aero India, where we are able to engage in person to increase trust and understanding."
Talking about how India-US ties were stronger now, he said: "The United States does more military exercises with India than with any other country. That is just one example of the importance of that relationship and why India was designated as a defence partner."
Earlier, Ambassador A Elizabeth Jones, the head of the US delegation to Aero India 2023, highlighted the growing diplomatic and security cooperation between India and the US over the last year 'show that the strategic partnership is one of our most consequential relationships'.
Ambassador Jones said, "India and the United States are working together in so many ways to ensure a free and open, prosperous, connected, and resilient Indo-Pacific region, where our democracies can thrive. As partners, we’re working together to address climate change; improve global health and prepare for new pandemics; cooperate on cyber challenges; build quality infrastructure; and ensure sustainable supply chains. We’re strengthening our cooperation on critical technologies, from space components to semiconductors."
Also Read: Aero India 2023: 'Made in India' TAPAS UAV in action
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