Indian drone development, procurement , news and updates .

[newindiandefence]

Have some one information about specification of rustum 2 and aura ?
I read somewhere it's range is only 100 km.

Rustum 2

 

[R!CK]

Have some one information about specification of rustum 2 and aura ?
I read somewhere it's range is only 100 km.

Rustum 2

Rustom 1

Rustom 2

DRDO AURA

Specs for AURA is still decided, so too early to comment on it. So far only information we have is that it will be powered by a Kaveri derivative as as per our DM.

"Aero engine developed by DRDO has not achieved the required thrust to power Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Therefore, it has been decided to use Kaveri derivative engine ("dry" engine) for powering Indian Unmanned Combat Aircraft," Parrikar said.

http://www.business-standard.com/ar...-unmanned-combat-aircraft-115073001331_1.html

P.S: I'll work on a separate for Rustom 1/2 which includes more data when I get time. As for AURA, design is still not frozen and specs are still being finalized. So only fanboy specs could be available, which is pointless.

Good Day!

 

[R!CK]

MQ-4C Triton

Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions.

Based on the proven Global Hawk UAS, Triton’s autonomous operations are supported by land-based command and control mission planners and sensor operators. Triton will be equipped with a unique and robust mission sensor suite that provides 360-degree coverage on all sensors, providing unprecedented maritime domain awareness for the U.S. Navy.

Triton also incorporates a reinforced airframe, for increased internal payload, and wing for hail, bird strike, and gust load protection, along with de-icing and lightning protection systems. These features allow the aircraft to descend and ascend through harsh maritime weather environments to gain a closer view of ships and other targets at sea when needed.

Built for the U.S. Navy, Triton will support a wide range of missions including maritime ISR patrol, signals intelligence, search and rescue and communications relay. The aircraft can fly over 24 hours at a time, at altitudes higher than 10 miles, with an operational range of 8,200 nautical miles.

The US Navy’s program of record calls for 68 aircraft to be fielded.

Supporting missions up to 24 hours, the high-altitude UAS is equipped with a sensor suite that provides a 360-degree view of its surroundings at a radius of over 2,000 nautical miles. Triton builds on elements of the Global Hawk UAS while incorporating reinforcements to the airframe and wing, along with de-icing and lightning protection systems. These capabilities allow the aircraft to descend through cloud layers to gain a closer view of ships and other targets at sea when needed. The current sensor suite allows ships to be tracked over time by gathering information on their speed, location and classification. Built to support the U.S. Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, Triton will support a wide range of intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance missions, maritime patrol and search and rescue.

Characteristics:

• Wingspan : 130.9 ft (39.9 m)
• Length : 47.6 ft (14.5 m)
• Height : 15.4 ft (4.6 m)
• Gross Take-off Weight : 32,250 lbs (14,628 kg)
• Max. Internal Payload : 3,200 lbs (1,452 kg)
• Max. External Payload : 2,400 lbs (1,089 kg)

• • Payloads:

Multi-Function Active Sensor Active Electronically Steered Array (MFAS AESA) radar
– 2D AESA – Maritime and air-to-ground modes
– Long-range detection and classification of targets

MTS-B multi-spectral targeting system
– Electro-optical/infrared
– Auto-target tracking
– High resolution at multiple field-of-views
– Full motion video

AN/ZLQ-1 Electronic Support Measures
– All digital
– Specific Emitter Identification

Automatic Identification System
– Provides information received from VHF broadcasts on maritime vessel movements​

​

Performance:

Self Deploy : 8,200 nm (15,186 km)
Max Altitude: 56,500 ft (17.22 km)
Max Endurance: 24 hrs
Max Airspeed: 331 knots True Air Speed (TAS) ​

Features:

• Provides persistent maritime ISR at a mission radius of 2,000 nm; 24 hours/7 days per week with 80% Effective Time on Station (ETOS)
• Land-based air vehicle and sensor command and control
• Afloat Level II payload sensor data via line-of-sight
• Dual redundant flight controls and surfaces
• 51,000-hour airframe life
• Due regard radar for safe separation
• Anti/de-ice, bird strike, and lightning protection
• Communications bandwidth management
• Commercial off-the-shelf open architecture mission control system
• Net-ready interoperability solution

Source: http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/Triton/Pages/default.aspx

Good Day!

 

[wiseone2]

how does Indian made drones communicate with ground controllers ??

 

[Ankit Kumar 002]

@R!CK @PARIKRAMA

I am assuming that Indian Navy is aiming for 24/7 surveillance of both eastern and western waters around India. And P8i along with MQ4C , supported by Naval Reaper/Predator and aircrafts like C295MPA.

But the lead will surely be from MQ4C.

My query is , if an operator has 6 Air frames , is the availability enough that he has atleast one airframe in air doing duties for atleast 18 hours a day ?

Further how venerable is it against say a Type 051C armed with naval S300 which can take on high flying targets at quite a good range.

Thanks.

 

[Foxbat Alok]

RUSTOM-2(UCAV)

Rustom-2 weighs 1.8 tonnes and will have a capacity payload of 350 kg, a wing span of 21-odd meters and an endurance of above 24 hours. "Rustom UAVs could be deployed for military missions like reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signal intelligence.
Rustom-II will be having Electronic Intelligence, Communication Intelligence, Medium and Long-Range Electro-optic Payloads and Synthetic Aperture Radar that will enable it to see through the clouds

The biggest challenge faced by the scientists is the excess weight of the airframe. The airframe had a weight of about 2,400 kg by 2015 end, which ADE scientists would have to bring down to about 1,700 kg in the final version for accommodating every sensor package.
the entire project of making ten Rustom-2 UAVs and spare vehicles at a cost of around $ 342.25 million would be completed by August 2017

Rustom-2 during taxi trial in 2014

Rustom-2 during aero india-2015

 

[migflug]

RUSTOM-2(UCAV)

Rustom-2 weighs 1.8 tonnes and will have a capacity payload of 350 kg, a wing span of 21-odd meters and an endurance of above 24 hours. "Rustom UAVs could be deployed for military missions like reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signal intelligence.
Rustom-II will be having Electronic Intelligence, Communication Intelligence, Medium and Long-Range Electro-optic Payloads and Synthetic Aperture Radar that will enable it to see through the clouds

The biggest challenge faced by the scientists is the excess weight of the airframe. The airframe had a weight of about 2,400 kg by 2015 end, which ADE scientists would have to bring down to about 1,700 kg in the final version for accommodating every sensor package.
the entire project of making ten Rustom-2 UAVs and spare vehicles at a cost of around $ 342.25 million would be completed by August 2017

Rustom-2 during taxi trial in 2014

Rustom-2 during aero india-2015

I don't have great knowledge of aerodynamics buy still the design of rustom 2 doesn't have sleek design.for eg boxy air intake. Would it not increase drag?

 

[R!CK]

I don't have great knowledge of aerodynamics buy still the design of rustom 2 doesn't have sleek design.for eg boxy air intake. Would it not increase drag?

Good observation. It is not exactly boxy, but then it is not too aerodynamic aswell. But the keyword here is 'Speed of Aircraft'. With a max. speed of 225 km/h and cruise speed of 125-175 km/h, these minor factors don't affect aerodynamics significantly. What's more important is the Inlet pressure and other factors which contributes to the velocity and pressure at which air enters the intake, so this could be a trade-off where a bit of aerodynamic inefficiency is desired over a better air intake input.

Disclaimer: Personal thoughts, happy to be proven wrong.

Good Day!

 

[R!CK]

"The US Navy claims a single Triton 24-hour surveillance mission can cover nearly 7 million square kilometres of ocean – identifying every vessel in one vast sweep of the ocean."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-04/australia-moves-to-buy-spy-drones/4236544

Due to lack of information in open source, we will have to deduce the information we need by comparing with the Australian plan for their MQ4-C Triton.

Australian EEZ

EEZ Area (km2)
Heard and McDonald Islands 410,722

Christmas Island 463,371

Cocos Islands 325,021

Norfolk Island 428,618
Macquarie Island 471,837
Mainland Australia, Tasmania and minor islands 6,048,681
Australian Antarctic Territory 2,000,000 (Awaiting approval)
Total 10,148,250 sq. km

Indian EEZ

• 1,641,514 km2
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 663,629 km2
• Total: 2,305,143 km2

Considering Australia has an EEZ which is significantly larger than India, the BAMS (Broad Area Maritime Surveillance) requirement for India is also significantly smaller unless we intend to use them on international waters which is less likely except for Anti-Piracy missions. With Australia planning to use a fleet of 7 Tritons, requirement could be anywhere between 3-6 airframes for India (Primarily 3). A single MQ4-C triton can cover the entire indian EEZ in a single mission with its superior endurance. Having atleast 2 units airborne at anytime will however improve the overall situation awareness and ensure a very relevant update of the maritime surveillance data.

The US Navy themselves intend to have atleast 3 Tritons airborne at anytime from their respective Forward Operating Bases within the 5 regions of interest.

Australia Intends to have up-to 3 Tritons on-air while 3 remain mission ready to take over once the first 3 lands. The 7th airframe will undergo maintenance in hangar or serve as attrition replacement.

Interesting Presentation here : http://slideplayer.com/slide/6079364/

Cost: Australia will be buying up to seven Tritons and associated equipment for $2.5 Billion.

http://www.navaldrones.com/BAMS.html

@R!CK @PARIKRAMA

But the lead will surely be from MQ4C.

My query is , if an operator has 6 Air frames , is the availability enough that he has atleast one airframe in air doing duties for atleast 18 hours a day ?

The following presentation claims 15 flights a month in 2013 which should see a major improvement by now. The Triton now boasts of 80% Effective Time on Station (ETOS). So to answer your question, we should see atleast 1 unit airbrone for a 20+ hour mission on a daily basis if we have a fleet of 3 Tritons.

Further how venerable is it against say a Type 051C armed with naval S300 which can take on high flying targets at quite a good range.

Thanks.

The Type 051C is armed with the Russian S-300FM air defence missile system. Its engagement range is 5–150 km and altitude envelope is 10 m–27 km against the Tritons max altitude of 17 km. However the Tritons superior radar and high altitude of operation, should make it possible to locate the Type 051C before it is within the missile range.

Good Day all!

 

[R!CK]

how does Indian made drones communicate with ground controllers ??

Not my domain sorry.

P.S this is how it works for the US Navy.

Good Day!

 

[PARIKRAMA]

Kerry asked to approve sale of Guardian drones to India

http://www.thestatesman.com/news/wo...ones-to-india/164833.html#fCQVXIwhJMuMrggK.99

Will be approved promptly.
Cause its a cobra without fangs.

Please use this sticky for all future discussions @ashok321 on this topic

++
article+

Kerry asked to approve sale of Guardian drones to India
PTI
| Washington | 13 September, 2016

US Secretary of State John Kerry (AFP)

Two top US Senators have asked the US Secretary of State John Kerry to approve with "utmost urgency" India's request to buy unarmed Guardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to improve its maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean region.

"Guardian would aid the Indian Navy in meeting a vast spectrum of maritime security and maritime domain awareness challenges, such as maintaining freedom of navigation, maritime search and rescue, protection of commercial activity and disaster response," Senators Mark Warner and John Cornyn wrote in a letter to Kerry.

Warner from the Democratic Party and Cornyn from the Republican Party are Co-Chairs of the Senate India Caucus the only country-specific caucuses in the US Senate.

The two top Senators wrote the letter to Kerry days after the issue was discussed by Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar with the US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter at the Pentagon on August 30.

It is understood that the Pentagon has extended its full support to the request made by India in this regard.

But a section of the State Department still needs to be convinced on this issue, informed sources said attributing this to a result of the strong Pakistani lobby here having launched a campaign against sale of unarmed Guardian drones to India.

In their letter dated September 2 a copy of which was obtained by PTI today the two Senators reminded the top American diplomat that improving India's maritime domain awareness is a key priority in the Joint Statement released by Carter and Parrikar in April 2016.

Deepening cooperation in the field of maritime security and expanding maritime cooperation was also a key part of US-India Joint Statement issued by the US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 2015, they said.

"Guardian is the only RPAS system that would fulfill India's maritime security and maritime domain awareness requirements," they said.

"The maritime environment in which the Indian Navy operates is both vast and diverse. Guardian provides persistent 360-degrees wide areas surveillance and is capable of operating at high altitudes, avoiding changing and unpredictable weather patterns over the Indian Ocean and beyond," the Senators wrote.

Cornyn and Warner argued that Guardian would enable increased US-India interoperability and would act as a force multiplier for our own forces in the region. .

 

[Foxbat Alok]

OIS-AT drones

OIS-AT twin tail Wavesight fixed wing UAV. It is launched from a catapult and retrieved using a parachute and airbags.

One of a series of Quadcopter UAVs by OIS

W101 lightweight UAS by OIS

 

[Foxbat Alok]

Mini UAV by hal

Two tactical UAVs developed by TATA POWER.

 

[Athen]

@PARIKRAMA Sir, Why dont we use drones to monitor siachen?? or even Fighter jets for that matter!!

 

[R!CK]

@PARIKRAMA Sir, Why dont we use drones to monitor siachen?? or even Fighter jets for that matter!!

Environment and altitude is not suitable for the same.

Good Day!