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Recent Developments

Indian Armed Forces are looking at procurement of 30 x HALEs, may be in a phased manner to meet the strategic requirements, while efforts are on to build an indigenous pseudo satellite for the same.

Under the Make-II category of acquisition, the Indian Army has granted an Approval In-Principle (AIP) for Integrated Drone Detection and Interdictions System, a feasibility is underway for Autonomous – Surveillance And Armed Drone Swarm (Desert/plains) {A-SADS(desert/ plains) and Autonomous – Surveillance And Armed Drone Swarm High Altitude Area {A-SADS (HAA)}. Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) has been granted for 35 Drone Kill Systems worth INR 78.36 crore for Indian Army in 2021 under Make-II.

Naval Ship Borne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) and HALE UAV have been identified under Make-I and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) model for development respectively.

In August 2022, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) issued a tender to procure two (2) mini drones with Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

Military Applications of UAVs.

Some of the important uses include:

•  Information, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR).

•  Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV).

•  Radar and Communication Relay.

•  Mapping Military Logistics.

•  Nuclear Cloud Surveillance.

Armed Drones. ADE has completed the development of the Rustom-2 TAPAS (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) MALE UAV (a MQ-1 category drone). HAL will soon start the production of first five units of TAPAS drones.

In total 76 units of this UAV will be ordered by forces. There will be 60 drones for Indian Army, 12 for the Indian Air Force and 4 for the Indian Navy.

Drone Technology

What information technology was in the 90s, drone technology is today. Technologies that the nation needs to invest in, are:

• Powertrain Technology – Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) Motor.

• Powertrain Technology – Fuel-Run Motor

• Powertrain Technology – Electronics

• Flight Controller

• Battery Technology

• Datalink Technology

• Making Bandwidth Available For Civilian Use

Some emerging technologies have the potential to enhancing effectiveness of drones, viz,

(a)  Artificial Intelligence.

(b)  Internet of Things (IoT).

Indian Air Force

A Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is a planned unmanned and manned combat aircraft air teaming system being developed by HAL, which is of interest to the IAF. An armed stealth drone will team up and fight alongside IAF fighters to hit high-value enemy targets. It is designed to carry out MUM-T Operations.

The Unmanned Wingman will be connected to a heavily upgraded IAF Jaguar fighter bomber.

HAL is designing & developing AI powered, stealthy autonomous swarm drones known as ALFA-S

DRDO is developing the Ghatak which is an UCAV for the IAF. The Aura UCAV will be a tactical stealth aircraft capable of delivering laser-guided strike weapons.

Indian Army

The army’s existing unmanned systems’ fleet comprises Heron medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, and the smaller Searcher Mark II tactical drones.

The Army plans to buy high-tech unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and improve the effectiveness of its military operations.

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy currently operates Israeli-origin Heron and Searcher Mk-II UAVs, but neither is shipborne. It also has Sea Guardian drones on lease.

The Indian Navy announced its plans, in June 2022, to acquire 40 Naval Unmanned Aerial Systems (NUAS) for more than 100 meters long warships.

Research & Development

DRDO tested, in early-July 2022, the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, which is a major step ahead of developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAV), primarily for the Indian Air Force.

Countering Drones

Drones are hard to detect, do not have a significant visual, radar, infra-red or noise signature, and require minimal infrastructure to launch and control. Drones are best countered by effective jamming and laser systems.

DRDO’s D-4 anti-drone system can provide both “soft kill” (jamming of hostile drones) and “hard kill” (a laser-based destruction method) options to the military to tackle fast-emerging aerial threats. It has been used for VIP protection on National Days’ events.

Adani Defence & Aerospace has linked with DRDO and Israel’s Elbit Systems to begin deploying counter-UAS equipment in some of the country’s major airports.

UAV Industry

The union government made a serious paradigm shift in the drone industry by announcing ‘Drone Shakti’ in Budget 2022. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized that the initiative will also help establish Drones-As-A-Service. With ‘drone as a service’ the government says start-ups will be promoted to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ through various use cases and applications.

According to the Civil Aviation Minister, by 2026, the Indian drone industry will achieve a turnover of over Rs 15,000 crore. India is home to 270 startups in the drone technologies business. He has stated that the country will be a global leader in drones by 2030.

The government announced the Production-Linked Incentive scheme on 16 Sep 2021 which provides for funding 20 per cent of the “value addition” made by the company during the next three years.

By 2025, India is forecasted to be the world’s third-largest drone market. The Government of India is planning to make India a Global Drone Hub by 2030, and expects total turnover of the drone manufacturing industry to increase from ₹ 60-80 crore to ₹ 900 crore by FY 2024.

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The IAF has decided to indigenously modernize the Su-30 MKI fighters with indigenously-designed weapons, electronic warfare systems, and so on.

Indigenous efforts will promote self-reliance in defence, circumvent possible US sanctions, and continue to nurture close defence cooperation with Russia. The 262-aircraft Su-30MKI fleet is and will likely remain the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for many decades. The technical parameters for the major Sukhoi upgrade are being refined.

The large size of the aircraft not only facilitates upgrades but also leaves room for metamorphoses to futuristic roles such as a weapons truck operating with a penetrating sensor & attack platform such as the AMCA, or a mothership controlling LO loyal wingman UCAVs in a system of system approach similar to the US Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD).

The IAF is the largest operator of the Su-30 variant. Over the past 20 years, India has made significant IPR & infrastructure investments in assembling, operating, servicing (overhaul, spares manufacture), and spiral upgrading (Brahmos-A, Astra, Rudram) the Su-30MKI.

84 Sukhois are likely to be modernised in the first tranche. Modernization will kick off after 4-5 years of design and development.

Besides the ability to carry advanced indigenously developed weapons, the finalized technical parameters would likely include an improved Infrared Imaging Search and Track System (IRST), AESA radar & a more powerful engine.

Imaging Search and Track System. The DRDO is working on the design & development of a Long Range Dual Band IRST for Su-30 MKI aircraft under the ‘Make II’ sub-category. The DAC approved the project in May 2018. On April 26, 2022, HAL and BEL reportedly signed a contract for the co-development and co-production of Long Range Dual Band IRST. The proposed IRST system will be a high-end strategic technology product in the field of defense avionics and technically competitive to existing IRST system in the global market with features of Television Day Camera, Infrared & Laser sensors in a single window for air-to-air and air-to-ground target tracking and localization.

AESA Radar. The modernized Su-30MKI will likely feature an AESA radar to replace its N011M BARS Radar. DRDO, which has already developed the Uttam AESA for the LCA, is reportedly working with HAL & Russian OEM to develop an AESA for the Su-30MKI. Considering the size of the nose cross-section of the Sukhoi, the radar could be the most potent airborne AESA equipping a fighter aircraft.

Engine Upgrade. India will likely procure the engine for the modernized fighter from Russia. Russia is developing an AL-41F-1S (Product 117S) engine variant that could be fitted on Su-30MKI fighters without any airframe modification. Tests of Su-30SM with the AL-41F-1S engine were underway, with completion scheduled for December 2023. Compared to the existing power plant of the Su-30MKI, the AL-41F-1S has 16% more (14,500 kgf) thrust, better Specific Fuel Consumption, improved endurance, and an overhaul life of 4,000 flight hours.

Russian Help. Russia will help India with the modernization without directly participating in it but as part of the “Make in India” programme. They are likely to supply additional technical kits for the assembly of the Su-30MKI and joint work on the modernization, including the integration of the latest aviation weapons and avionics.

Lethality With BrahMos Increased

The IAF is set to increase the number of Sukhoi 30 (SU-30) MKI fighters integrated with BrahMos supersonic missile, which now has a range of over 500 kilometres. These are spread on the country’s western border with Pakistan and its eastern boundary with China.

The IAF currently has 40 SU-30 MKI with BrahMos, the only supersonic cruise missile in the world. While the range of the missile was 290 km earlier, it has been extended to over 500 km. The IAF had tested the extended range of the missile in May. There were certain software changes that had to be made for extending the missile’s range and this was done with the help of Russians.

The land-launched BrahMos has a range of about 400 kilometres and work is also to increase its range to 800 and 1,500-km.

The IAF had commissioned the 222 ‘Tiger Sharks’ squadron of Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets equipped with the BrahMos in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, in August 2020. The decision to deploy the Su-30 MKIs at Thanjavur was also taken due to its strategic location. The Tiger Sharks squadron has 18 fighters, and about six of which are equipped with BrahMos.

Unlike the land-launched, the air version of BrahMos gives military planners more options to hit deeper targets which would otherwise be out of range. This is because the Sukhois have a range of 1,500 kilometres and hence can hit long distance targets with the cruise missile.

The missile has a maximum speed of 2.8 Mach (around 3,450 kmph or 2,148 mph), and is difficult to intercept by surface-to-air missiles currently deployed from warships across the world. It also has an immense ability to evade radars. The missile’s cruising altitude can be up to 15 km, and the lowest it can fly is 10 metres above the surface and is capable of carrying a conventional warhead (non-nuclear) weighing 200-300 kg.

Su-30MKI Indigenous Upgrade Proposed Equipment Fit (Alphabetical)

Advanced Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN )

Advanced Weapon Control System

Advanced Electronically Scanned Array radar

Aviation Clock

Blanking Unit

CIT

Digital Head Up Display (HUD)

Enhanced EW Suite

Enhanced FDR

Flight Data Transfer Unit clue

GPS Splitter

Higher Size Multi-Function Display System (MFDS)

Helmet Mounted Observation System (HMOS)

Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS)

Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)

Indigenous Digital Map Generator (DMG)

Indigenous Solid State Digital Video Recording System (SSDVRS)

Indigenous VOR/ILS

Indigenous/Western Weapons

Imaging Search and Track System (IRTS)

Integrated Stand By Instrument Sys

Mission Computers

Modified INGPS

New Line of Position (LOP)

Software Defined Radio

Upgraded Radio Altimeter

Voice Activated Command System

India has already developed the following:

Mission Computer cum Display Processor

Radar Computer which is RC1 and Rc2

Mk2 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR).

HAL’s full LCD Modern Glass Cockpit.

High Accuracy Direction Finding Module (HADF)

IFF-1410A – Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)

Integrated Communication suite INCOM 1210A

Radar Altimeter – RAM-1701

Programmable Signal Processor (PSP)

Multi Function Displays (MFD) – Samtel/DARE

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“This cadre will be of operators in terms of piloting and will reduce the load on helicopter pilots,” Lt. Gen. Suri said speaking at a seminar on UAVs organised by the Centre for Air Power Studies and Indian Military Review. Stating that Indian Army has been using UAVs for the last two decades, he said they have primarily used them in the northern and western borders. A major part of the surveillance is carried out by them, he added.

The proposal is currently with the Army headquarters and once cleared, will be sent to the Defence Ministry for approval, officials said on its status. A similar proposal for a separate UAV cadre by the IAF has been long pending with the Defence Ministry for approval.

In August 2021, Army Aviation got control of the UAVs of the Army which were earlier under Artillery. The Army operates over 30 Heron UAVs procured from Israel.

Speaking at the seminar, Air Marshal Radhakrishnan Radhish, Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at Western Air Command, said the IAF has a road map for induction of more capable medium-altitude long-endurance UAVs as well as high-altitude long-endurance UAVs. IAF is joining an indigenous effort to develop a UCAV and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) has been sanctioned to develop the niche technologies, he stated.

The Bengaluru-based ADE is under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Stating that the “unmanned market” is expected to see a significant growth in India, Air Marshal Radhish added that by 2026 it is anticipated to be the world’s third largest market.

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The system will consist of a manned fighter aircraft acting as “mothership” of the system and a set of swarming UAVs and UCAVs governed by the main aircraft. A twin-seated HAL Tejas is likely to be the main fighter aircraft. Various other sub components of the system are currently under development and will be jointly produced by HAL, National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and a private firm named Newspace Research & Technologies. The primary aim is to make multiple advanced aerial platforms that can act as atmospheric satellite for high altitude surveillance, perform autonomous deep penetration precision strikes from standoff distance with maximum firepower while reduce human error and the threat on life.

CATS Warrior

CATS Warrior will be powered by an improved version of HAL PTAE-7 in a twin turbojet engine configuration which was previously used in DRDO Lakshya. Like the loyal wingman drone, it is also an unmanned stealth platform which can be controlled by the Mothership CATS LCA-MAX in formation of 2-4 warrior drone from as far as 150 kilometers and is able to fly alongside it to accomplish tasks such as scouting, absorbing enemy fire or even attacking the targets if necessary with its internal weapons. With 700 km of maximum range for self-destruct suicide missions, CATS Warrior can also carry a payload of 24 ALFA-S loitering munitions(carriers) up to 350 km for release and then safely return to base. In addition to swarm drones, it can also carry a total of 4 DRDO Smart Ant-Airfield Weapons(SAAW) – 2 x wingtips, 2 x internal bay. HAL is going to invest ?390 Crore ($53.5 Million) for the development of CATS Warrior platform for which the company management already gave its approval as of February 2021. The integration with CATS MAX will take 1-2 years and first flights is scheduled for 2024-25.

CATS Hunter

With KEPD 350 like appearance, the CATS Hunter will weigh 600 kg (1,300 lb) and will be powered by a single HAL PTAE-7 turbojet engine. It is designed as a low observable standoff air-launched cruise missile that can be integrated into CATS MAX, Mirage 2000, Jaguar or Su-30MKI and will consist of an interchangeable weapon carriage section based on mission profile that can carry 250 kg (550 lb) of unitary warhead or cluster munition(s) with a striking range of 200–300 km (120–190 mi). Once the payload is dropped at the designated target, CATS Hunter will be able to return and can be recovered through a two tier parachute system. It will use multiple global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and terrain contour matching (TERCOM) with mid-flight updates for guidance and an imaging seeker that can help in automatic target acquisition during terminal phase.

CATS ALFA

It is a carrier which will contains the Air Launched Flexible Asset-Swarm (ALFA-S) loitering munition. The carrier is capable of gliding and can cover around 100 km (62 mi) distance after being launched from the mothership. After reaching the desired distance, the ALFA-S can automatically separate from CATS ALFA and fly using its own propulsion thereby increasing the overall striking range. ALFA-S weighs 25 kg (55 lb), has foldable wings of 1 to 2 meter long and can carry 5 to 8 kilogram of warhead with a speed of 100 kilometer per hour. ALFA-S is a networked swarm drone that can detect surface to air missiles, radars and fighter jets stationed on ground. Using an artificially intelligent machine learning algorithm, the onboard mission computer and seeker on ALFA-S can perform autonomous target acquisition which can then assign and self lock on target to perform suicidal attacks using an individual or multiple drones. As per Group Captain Harsh Vardan Thakur from HAL Flight Operations Unit, a Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft can carry 30 to 40 ALFA-S during flight.

Under the India-US Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), ALFA-S is the first joint project between Newspace Research & Technologies, HAL and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). HAL will also help in the designing of CATS ALFA carrier platform that will air launch ALFA-S loitering munition. The first prototype of ALFA-S will be deployed on BAE Hawk 132 Advanced Jet Trainers.

CATS Infinity

Since the last few years, NewSpace Research & Technologies had already started developing systems such as CATS Infinity. In 2017, Boeing helped in validating the UAV and was impressed by the design and technological advancement of Infinity in the field of aerospace engineering. The first flight of the system designed for high altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS) role was planned from 2019. It is a solar powered high altitude drone with an endurance level as far as 3 months at a cruising altitude of 70,000 ft (21,000 m), weighing 500 kg. Infinity is designed to be equipped with terrain mapping camera and will have the capability of producing airborne real time cueing hyperspectral enhanced reconnaissance for deep strike aerial missions inside enemy territory. With a wingspan of 50 meters, the drone uses multiple ultra-lightweight electric motors that generates a speed of 90 to 100 kilometers per hour. New Space is working on high-density rechargeable Lithium-Sulphur batteries that will help constantly power the system for longer deployments.

It is also intended as a platform for real time communication and control of unmanned ground vehicles like Mobile Autonomous Stabilisation System (MASS), Mobile Autonomous Robot System (MARS) and Muntra developed by DRDO as well as in drone warfare under the CATS program. The Infinity platform is built as an Indian alternative for civilian and military drones like Maraal UAVs, Facebook Aquila, Airbus Zephyr and AVIC Morning Star of China.

As of July 2021, HAL had already started works on further improving the design of CATS Infinity with NewSpace Research & Technologies and is waiting for the approval from Ministry of Defence (MoD). As per HAL official, the development will take 3-4 years of time. The CATS Infinity will act as communication bridge between UAV and satellite(s), by providing live video feed and images of the battlefield.

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The Test

The demonstrator vehicle was tested at the Aeronautical Test Range located at Chitradurga in Karnataka on Friday. While being operated in a completely autonomous mode, it exhibited a perfect flight, according to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The take-off of the vehicle, the automatic navigation tracing the designated points — waypoint navigation and a touchdown — were all executed with the desired precision.

“This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is a significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies,” the Ministry of Defence said.

The demonstrator has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Bengaluru-based facility of the DRDO working in the fields of unmanned aerial vehicles, flight simulators, pilotless target aircraft, plight control systems and air weapons. Congratulating the DRDO, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh said that it is a major achievement towards autonomous aircraft and will pave the way for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in terms of critical military systems.

What is special about it?

DRDO officials highlighted the flying wing structure of the technology demonstrator, which refers to a tailless fixed-wing aircraft which houses its payload and fuel in its main wings and does not have a defined fuselage-like structure found in the conventional aircraft. The design, DRDO scientists say, has the potential to deliver high fuel efficiency and stealth, if executed with precision, as demonstrated by some of advanced bombers in the USA’s arsenal like B-2 bomber.

The officials added that the flying wing type of aircraft has a key operational advantage because it has low reflective cross sections resulting in low radar signature, making it a stealth machine. Because of the shape, the aircraft also has very low drag or air resistance. However, this unique design also comes with its issues related to stability and thus requires additional systems.

The airframe — the basic mechanical structure of the aircraft, the undercarriage — the landing gear used for take-off and landing and the entire flight control along with avionics systems used for the demonstrator have been developed indigenously. The vehicle is powered by a small turbofan engine which is an airbreathing type jet engine.

How will it help develop future combat drones?

DRDO scientists said that this technology demonstrator will further undergo tests for examining other technologies in the development of future combat drones. Tests would also be conducted on the scale and capability of the vehicle. Sources said that the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator is precursor to an autonomous stealth Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) being developed by the DRDO, primarily for the Indian Air Force. A deck launched version for the Indian Navy is also said to be in the pipeline. The UCAV will be capable of launching missiles and precision-guided munitions.

The DRDO has in the past developed various drones, like Nishant, Rustom, Tapas and Lakshya among others, which have different capabilities and operational roles. In July last year, the DRDO also unveiled its anti-drone technology aimed at neutralising enemy attacks. The system has the capability of counter attacks, including detection, soft kill — for jamming the communication links of drone) and hard kill — and laser based hard kill to destroy the drone to neutralise the adversary drones.

Several scenarios in the recent past, both in India and abroad, have highlighted the strategic importance of having stealth combat drones in the arsenal. While the Indian armed forces currently operate a mix of indigenously developed and imported drones, a fully homegrown stealth combat machine is the need of the hour, experts said.

While some reports suggest that the UCAV will be titled Ghatak (deadly) or Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft, the agency has not officially released the details.

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Nature of Warfare

Over the past few decades, there have been many prophecies about how drones will transform the nature of warfare and how “drone swarms” could overwhelm enemies in combat. While there is no doubt that unmanned warfare is evolving fast, the “era of the drone” is yet to arrive because countries that use them often do not deploy enough of them, or are afraid to lose them in battle. Despite widespread employment, drones did not stop the Taliban in Afghanistan.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, it put a renewed spotlight on the use of armed drones in conventional wars. The world saw how armed drones might work when both countries have them — and both have air defences that can shoot them down.

Turkish Bayraktar drones showed they can change the “nature of warfare” in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But contemplating air war based on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict or the Ukraine-Russia war needs closer analysis. In the latter, the success of the Bayraktar was unclear. Even kamikaze drones did not turn the tide in Ukraine. The limits of drone warfare appeared to be on display.

Any air war, more so in the context of the subcontinent, would involve an entire array of aerial operations and combat air support campaigns. To counter drones, the capabilities of the enemy drone assets need evaluation before countering them through anti-drone measures and other means.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

The stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China has accelerated the acquisition of more drones. Impressed with the performance of the two leased Sea Guardian drones, the Navy, Army and the Air Force are considering procurement of combat drones.

Military Applications of UAVs.

Some of the important uses include:

• Information, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR).
• Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV).
• Radar and Communication Relay.
• Mapping Military Logistics.
• Nuclear Cloud Surveillance.

Armed Drones. ADE has completed the development of the Rustom-2 TAPAS (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) MALE UAV (a MQ-1 category drone). Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will soon start the production of first five units of TAPAS drones. The optimally armed drone has already met all its revised qualitative requirements. It can fly at an altitude of 28,000 feet and has an endurance of 18 hours.

In total 76 units of this UAV will be ordered by forces. There will be 60 drones for Indian Army, 12 for the Indian Air Force and 4 for the Indian Navy.

Drone Technology

What information technology was in the 90s, drone technology is today. Technologies that the nation needs to invest in, are:

• Powertrain Technology – Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) Motor.
• Powertrain Technology – Fuel-Run Motor
• Powertrain Technology – Electronics
• Flight Controller
• Battery Technology
• Datalink Technology
• Making Bandwidth Available For Civilian Use

Some emerging technologies have the potential to enhancing effectiveness of drones, viz,

Artificial Intelligence. AI can help machines perceive and learn from Big Data to mimic and improve upon human cognitive functions like learning and problem solving.

Internet of Things (IoT). A network of connected devices, robots and instruments, embedded with sensors can communicate with other objects to         exchange data and information over the internet. Drones can act as first responders to an accident site and transmit real-time information to rescue agencies.

Indian Air Force

A Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is a planned unmanned and manned combat aircraft air teaming system being developed by HAL, which is of interest to the IAF. An armed stealth drone will team up and fight alongside IAF fighters to hit high-value enemy targets. It is designed to carry out MUM-T Operations.

The Unmanned Wingman will be connected to a heavily upgraded IAF Jaguar fighter bomber; pilots onboard which will assign specific tasks to each of the unmanned drones which fly alongside the fighter. The drone will also operate with other platforms.

HAL is designing & developing AI powered, stealthy autonomous swarm drones known as ALFA-S. Sheer numbers of the swarm would overwhelm enemy defences such as surface-to-air missile units to ensure a high probability of mission success. The drones are meant to be launched from any Indian Air Force aircraft – fighter jets and transports.

DRDO is developing the Ghatak which is an UCAV for the IAF. The Aura UCAV will be a tactical stealth aircraft capable of delivering laser-guided strike weapons.

Indian Army

The army’s existing unmanned systems’ fleet comprises Heron medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, and the smaller Searcher Mark II tactical drones.

The Army plans to buy high-tech unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and improve the effectiveness of its military operations.

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy currently operates Israeli-origin Heron and Searcher Mk-II UAVs, but neither is shipborne. It also has Sea Guardian drones on lease.

The Indian Navy announced its plans, in June 2022, to acquire 40 Naval Unmanned Aerial Systems (NUAS) for more than 100 meters long warships. The NUAS would be used for surveillance activities, including signals intelligence (SIGINT), target acquisition, surveillance, and maritime domain awareness surrounding a naval task forc as well as Search-and-Rescue (SAR), anti-piracy, and anti-terrorist operations.

The Indian Navy once partially funded a joint effort by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to convert the Chetak helicopter into an autonomous drone platform due to its need for the capabilities over time. The project, named naval rotary UAV (NRUAV), failed due to technological difficulties.

Research & Development

DRDO tested, in early-July 2022, the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, which is a major step ahead of developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAV), primarily for the Indian Air Force. A deck launched version for the Indian Navy is also said to be in the pipeline. The UCAV will be capable of launching missiles and precision-guided munitions.

Countering Drones

Drones are hard to detect, do not have a significant visual, radar, infra-red or noise signature, and require minimal infrastructure to launch and control. Drones are best countered by effective jamming and laser systems.

DRDO’s D-4 anti-drone system can provide both “soft kill” (jamming of hostile drones) and “hard kill” (a laser-based destruction method) options to the military to tackle fast-emerging aerial threats. It has been used for VIP protection on National Days’ events.

Adani Defence & Aerospace has linked with DRDO and Israel’s Elbit Systems to begin deploying counter-UAS equipment in some of the country’s major airports.

UAV Industry

According to the Civil Aviation Minister, by 2026, the Indian drone industry will achieve a turnover of over Rs 15,000 crore. India is home to 270 startups in the drone technologies business. He has stated that the country will be a global leader in drones by 2030.

PLI Scheme. The government announced the Production-Linked Incentive scheme on 16 Sep 2021 which provides for funding 20 per cent of the “value addition” made by the company during the next three years. The value addition is calculated as the annual sales revenue from drones and drone components. 14 drone companies have already been selected as beneficiaries.

Joint Ventures. The first private UAV manufacturing complex has been set up at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad to assemble unmanned aerial platforms including manufacturing of Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Platforms and marketing it to international customers.

Training

Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) signed a MoU, in July 2022, with a private drone service provider and training organisation, to set up a ‘Remote Pilot Training Centre’ (RPTC) to teach drone flying to defence/security forces personnel as well as citizens on a private partnership model near Gandhinagar. The RPTC will have DGCA certified drone trainers teaching the trainees regarding quadcopters with strict adherence to certification necessities.

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Known as the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior, the project began in 2018 and was showcased during Aero India 2021.

The company described the Warrior as a twin-engined autonomous, unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The aircraft is intended to operate behind or alongside manned fighter aircraft to protect their tails. The UCAV is being designed to attack aerial and ground targets.

According to an HAL source, the project has advanced since Aero India 2021.

“The CATS Warrior is currently in wind tunnel testing. Our original timetable for deployment was 2024–25 and we expect flight testing of the CATS Warrior to start in 2024,” the source told Janes .

Janes understands that the company has two indigenous engine options for the Warrior. One is HAL’s PTAE-7, a 400 kg, 3.43 kN single spool turbojet developed in the 1980s. The second is HTFE-25, a 25 kN turbofan under development by HAL.

Janes reported previously that the HTFE-25 has a twin-spool, mixed-flow, low bypass configuration. The low pressure spool consists of a three-stage low-pressure fan driven by single-stage low-pressure turbine, and the high pressure spool consists of a five-stage high-pressure compressor driven by a single-stage high-pressure turbine.

The company said that it hopes to certify the engine by 2025.

“As the CATS Warrior is a twin-engined design, we believe that using two HTFE-25 engines will give the UCAV the necessary performance to match frontline combat aircraft,” the HAL source said.

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Although the Narendra Modi government on February 9 banned the import of drones, acquisition of unmanned aerial vehicles for defence and security purposes are exempt, but still require special and specific clearances. “As of now, the Predator deal is off,” said a top South Block official who asked not to be named.

Spearheaded by the Indian Navy, India was planning to acquire 30 Predator armed drones for use across services (10 each for the navy, air force and army) at the cost of at least $3 billion from US-based General Atomics. The Indian Navy already has taken two surveillance Predators on lease from the US company and uses them for conducting reconnaissance of India’s maritime and land borders with China and Pakistan.

The decision to put the acquisition on hold was taken as India already has some capability in armed drones; it is currently upgrading the Israeli Heron drones. The Predator platform with armed payload, as in missiles and laser-guided bombs, costs nearly $100 million apiece, but the platform has an endurance of nearly 27 hours.

The Indian Navy uses it for maritime domain awareness from Gulf of Aden to Sunda Straits in Indonesia.

While the Indian Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is expected to unveil its medium altitude long endurance (MALE) drone latest by March, the country’s national security planners are looking at futuristic high altitude pseudo satellite (HAPS) technology for surveillance and targeting capability.

India has already demonstrated its capacity and capability for the manufacture of swarm drones, as was showcased in the Beating Retreat ceremony this year.

Besides DRDO, private Indian companies are also involved in the development of drones that are cheaper to operate compared to the Predator and pack similar lethality.

While the Indian Navy and Army have significant use for the drones for domain awareness, the Indian Air Force was sceptical of Predators due to congested air space, and the presence of surface to air missiles and radars in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The Air Force is in favour of purchasing more fighter aircraft.

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