Navy gets its first MALE Drone

Navy gets its first MALE Drone- made by Adani

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The Indian Navy gets its first MALE Drone, the Drishti 10 Starliner unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAV) which will boost its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities from Adani Group.

Navy chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar, who took the delivery of the first Drishti 10 Starliner Wednesday, said: “True to its name, (the drone) has seen the light of the day in just ‘10 months’ post the conclusion of the contract.”He also said that the drone will be a potent force multiplier in the Indian Ocean which faces an array of security challenges.

Navy gets its first MALE Drone for Adani Group

Manufactured by Adani Defense and Aerospace in partnership with the Israeli firm Elbit, in Hyderabad, the Drishti 10 StarLiner, with an endurance of 36 hours, satellite connectivity, and the ability to carry a payload of 450 kg, is the Indian version of the original Hermes Starliner.

Initially, there was an order for four drones (two each) by the Navy and Army by invoking emergency financial powers, so it is the first one, the rest of the three will be delivered soon in the coming months. The armed force’s requirement is   100 drones so further orders can be given to the Adani group in the future.

It is 70% indigenous and has a service ceiling of 30,000 ft. Drishti 10 Starliner is only all-weather platform with STANAG 461 certification, clear to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace. There are three hard points where load can be carried, and it can be weaponized as well e.g. Bomb attacks can be done. The first MALE drone will fly to Porbandar to be pressed into naval maritime operations. Navy chief says India-made UAV will add to credibility of ISR missions across Indian Ocean.

with state-of-the-art sensors, enhanced endurance, advanced communication capabilities it also has new-age technologies like automatic take-off and landing (ATOL)

Currently, the tensions can be witnessed in Red Sea as Houthis are continually hijacking cargo ships and recently in Arabian sea Somali pirates also hijacked an Indian ship called MV Lila Norfolk. These kinds of incidents can be addressed by using MALE (Medium altitude long-endurance) drone in the future.

Also, DRDO (Defence Reaseach and Development organization) is also developing a MALE UAV drone called “Tapas”, it almost at its final stage.

In August 2023, Tapas crashed near Karnataka due to a technical snag, it is undergoing through testing phase and till now more than 200 test flights are done.  It has lesser endurance, ceiling capacity and payload as compared to Drishti 10 starliner.

What is HALE Drone?

“Hale drone” typically refers to High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) drones. These are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed to operate at high altitudes for extended periods. HALE drones are known for their endurance, which allows them to remain in flight for extended durations, often ranging from several hours to several days.

These drones operate at altitudes well above traditional manned aircraft, often in the stratosphere or near-space regions. HALE drones are designed to stay aloft for extended periods, offering prolonged mission durations compared to other types of UAVs.

Due to their endurance and high-altitude capabilities, HALE drones are suitable for a variety of applications, including surveillance, reconnaissance, communication relay, atmospheric research, and environmental monitoring.

Navy gets its first MALE Drone
Source: www.adanidefence.com

Some HALE drones are designed with solar panels to harness sunlight for power, allowing them to operate for extended periods without the need for frequent landings.

These drones play a crucial role in military and civilian applications where persistent surveillance or data collection over large areas is required. They are particularly useful for monitoring remote or inaccessible regions and can be employed in a range of sectors, including defense, environmental monitoring, and telecommunications. Examples of HALE drones include the Global Hawk and the Solar Impulse 2.

India does not have any HALE drones currently; The Navy currently operates four HALE Drones called as “Sea Guardians” which are on lease.

India is buying from US 31-MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems to boost the military’s strength.

US firm -General Atomics has offered Drones to India for $3.072 Billion, still the negotiations are going on.

To conclude, Drishti 10 Starliner is India’s first invention in MALE Drone category made by Adani and definitely a very proud thing for every citizen. In the future many more such inventions can be done to boost the security system of the country. Top of Form

 

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