Aero India 2023: The UAVs that may keep an eye on India's northern borders soon
By Anish Kumar | First Published Feb 16, 2023, 1:33 PM ISTThese drones have been designed for emergency response, are portable and rapidly deployable in border areas for carrying out payloads and counter-surveillance.
The nature of warfare has been evolving amidst fast-evolving geopolitical scenarios worldwide, with technologies having a significant role to play in changing the course of the war. The forces worldwide are investing more in technology-driven products, especially when it comes to manning the borders with it in an effort to have minimum human intervention.
Also Read: Aero India 2023: Indian startup aims for world's most compact flying electric taxi
Latest Videos
During the Aero India 2023 show in Bengaluru, Ayaan Autonomous Systems displayed two of its products, including a logistics drone -- Airavat D50 -- and a surveillance drone -- SpyD S4 -- at the India Pavilion. Talking to Asianet Newsable, Ayaan Autonomous Systems CEO and Founder Atul Chaudhary said that these drones have been designed for emergency response, are portable and rapidly deployable in border areas for carrying out payloads and counter-surveillance.
Airavat D50
Considering the requirements of the Indian Army, this drone has been designed and developed to be deployed on the northern borders. Airavat D50 has a flight ceiling of 300m AGL with an endurance of 40 minutes. As per the company, the drone is highly durable, has a rugged CF chassis, and is built to endure adverse environmental conditions at higher altitudes. It can carry a payload of 20kg in the mountains and has a range of 15km.
"It is a logistics drone, which is meant to take off with heavy cargo at northern borders. This product has been developed for the Indian Army. We have successfully tested it at a higher altitude. We also have a bigger version of it that carries a payload of 40kg."
SpyD S4
"Similarly, we have a smaller UAV, which we have displayed here. This is a surveillance UAV meant for border guarding forces to keep an eye on adversaries. This supports a day camera as well as a night camera. The drone is SpyD S4, which is also a tethered and untethered drone."
When tethered, it can fly for six hours with a 120 m cable length and untethered, it flies for 55 minutes up to a 10 km of range.
"We have demonstrated it for the Indian Army at northern borders. We are also working on a smaller system which is going to be combat, the payload would be little, but the range would be higher," Atul Chaudhari said.
75 per cent indigenous content
"The important part is that we have developed all the electronics in-house, fly control system hardware and the wireless system and camera payload along with battery monitoring system. We have done everything in-house. We also have our own remote control system," Chaudhari added.
"We have over 75 per cent indigenous content in all our drones."
How can these drones help the Indian Army along borders?
"These are the drones which are indigenously built, and we are already tested. The Army would definitely get benefitted from this when there is a challenge of nighttime surveillance," he said.
"Recently, we saw a conflict at Tawang, where there was a border intrusion from the Chinese forces. The tethered drone can be there at any moment at any time irrespective of the weather condition, and it can monitor a border upto 4-5 km at the same, the troops can sit inside and have a look at the video," he further said, adding, "We have also got the artificial intelligence inside which can point out the intrusions and action can be taken quietly."
Cost of the drone
The basic drone with a normal day camera costs between Rs 7-7.5 lakh. As the payload capacity increases, drone prices will increase further.
Also Read: Solar-powered drone 'SURAJ' unveiled at Aero India 2023; know its use, features and more
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.