India set to develop own stealth combat drones

[Maarkhoor]

India is finally getting set to launch an ambitious project to develop its own stealth combat drones or UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles), which will be capable of firing missiles and precision-guided munitions at enemy targets and then returning to home bases to re-arm for further missions.

Sources said the government was close to approving a Rs 2,650 crore Project Ghatak to develop the futuristic "Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle", which has already been cleared by the defence ministry. "The project is now being evaluated by an expert committee set up by the finance ministry. Once approved, Project Ghatak will be placed before the cabinet committee on security for the final nod," said a source.

READ ALSO:IAF to get mini drones for covert operations

Project Ghatak flows from the earlier AURA (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) programme, which was sanctioned in 2009 at a cost of Rs 12.50 crore to carry out a "conceptual and feasibility study" for the future Indian UCAV. "The (AURA) project was successfully completed in April 2013 within the time schedule," minister of state for defence Rao Inderjit Singh told Parliament earlier this month.

Project Ghatak, initiated by the Aeronautical Development Agency-DRDO combine in consultation with the IAF, now plans to bring in "collaborators" from the initial stage itself. Weighing less than a fighter jet since it will be "more of a flying-wing in design", the UCAV will take at least a decade to become fully-operational.

Interestingly, the UCAV will be powered by a "52-kilonewton dry variant" of the indigenously-developed Kaveri aerospace engine, which could not pass muster to become the power plant for the Tejas light combat aircraft.

The Kaveri engine failed to provide the higher thrust required to power Tejas throughout its flight envelope, which led India to procure American GE engines for the indigenous fighter project. But all the work done on the Kaveri engine, on which Rs 2,839 crore have been spent after it was first approved way back in 1989, will now not go waste, sources said.

READ ALSO:India turns to Israel for armed drones as Pakistan, China build fleets

Incidentally, the armed forces already have Israeli Harop 'killer' drones, which basically act as cruise missiles to first detect and then destroy specific enemy targets and radars by exploding into them in kamikaze fashion.
Moreover, some of the existing Indian fleet of Israeli Heron and Searcher-II UAVs are also being upgraded with "add-ons" to ensure they can undertake a combat mission over and above their current surveillance and precision-targeting roles, as earlier reported by TOI.

But UCAVs are far more advanced, and considered among the most potent game-changers in modern day warfare. The 'Predator' and 'Reaper' drones which are controlled from the US through satellites, for instance, have been extensively used to fire 'Hellfire' missiles against Taliban targets in the Af-Pak region.

The armed forces, on their part, are keen to further induct a wide variety of drones, ranging from hand-launched mini ones to full-fledged UCAVs. The Army, for instance, wants at least 598 mini-UAVs to ensure "battlefield transparency" and "beyond the hill surveillance" in a 10-km radius for its infantry soldiers.

India set to develop own stealth combat drones - Times of India

 

[Maarkhoor]

@Zarvan @Windjammer @knight11

A Comment by Indian

I appreciate the optimism but I would rather use historic data to predict the possible achievements. We do not have a stable fighter aircraft or even a helicopter after 40 years trying to develop one. We did develop substandard small aircrafts, non-cryogenic missiles (so these cant be intercontinental) and some tanks. Even our indigenous radars are substandard and mere modifications of outdated russian ones. When I look out to the streets all I see is lack of governance and resulting chaos. Our streets kill 10,000 times more people than Pakistan / terrorism will ever. Still instead of fixing our own broken system we want to live in the illusion that life after Pakistan is rosy? Isn't this why our politicians and bureaucrats know that once in the office that have to deliver NOTHING

 

[Kal Muah]

@Zarvan @Windjammer @knight11

A Comment by Indian

I appreciate the optimism but I would rather use historic data to predict the possible achievements. We do not have a stable fighter aircraft or even a helicopter after 40 years trying to develop one. We did develop substandard small aircrafts, non-cryogenic missiles (so these cant be intercontinental) and some tanks. Even our indigenous radars are substandard and mere modifications of outdated russian ones. When I look out to the streets all I see is lack of governance and resulting chaos. Our streets kill 10,000 times more people than Pakistan / terrorism will ever. Still instead of fixing our own broken system we want to live in the illusion that life after Pakistan is rosy? Isn't this why our politicians and bureaucrats know that once in the office that have to deliver NOTHING

Sir, just because you failed previously doesn`t mean you gave up what you dreamt of.
Henry Ford failed 5 times, before successfully creating Ford motor, according to historic data he should have been failed.
Albert Einstein expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School, according to historic data he should have been failed.
J. K. Rowling penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel, according to historic data she should have been failed.
History is never created by looking how many times you failed, it is created by looking how many times you are going to try. We may have failed to create a fighter aircraft or helicopter, but we will never stop trying to create one. You may talk about about us, laugh at us, or taunt us but one thing is for sure, you cannot ignore us.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

Sir, just because you failed previously doesn`t mean you gave up what you dreamt of.
Henry Ford failed 5 times, before successfully creating Ford motor, according to historic data he should have been failed.
Albert Einstein expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School, according to historic data he should have been failed.
J. K. Rowling penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel, according to historic data he should have been failed.
History is never created by looking how many times you failed, it is created by looking how many times you are going to try. We may have failed to create a fighter aircraft or helicopter, but we will never stop trying to create one. You may talk about about us, laugh at us, or taunt us but one thing is for sure, you cannot ignore us.

And I dont know what he means about helicopter or even jet. Because Tejas first of all is just getting into production, and getting more orders.

And for helicopters, India is in Dhruv mark 3 at the moment, with Rudra in service. LCH in advanced stages of development, and LUH readying first flight.

And if countries with more of a budget than India, established industry than India can fail and continue, so can India.

And seriously, what type of life example is that, because you fail at some thing dont try it again? Wtf

I have no idea what the guy is even talking about with cryogenic missiles and russian radars.

 

[Grevion]

Sir, just because you failed previously doesn`t mean you gave up what you dreamt of.
Henry Ford failed 5 times, before successfully creating Ford motor, according to historic data he should have been failed.
Albert Einstein expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School, according to historic data he should have been failed.
J. K. Rowling penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel, according to historic data she should have been failed.
History is never created by looking how many times you failed, it is created by looking how many times you are going to try. We may have failed to create a fighter aircraft or helicopter, but we will never stop trying to create one. You may talk about about us, laugh at us, or taunt us but one thing is for sure, you cannot ignore us.

And I dont know what he means about helicopter or even jet. Because Tejas first of all is just getting into production, and getting more orders.

And for helicopters, India is in Dhruv mark 3 at the moment, with Rudra in service. LCH in advanced stages of development, and LUH readying first flight.

And if countries with more of a budget than India, established industry than India can fail and continue, so can India.

And seriously, what type of life example is that, because you fail at some thing dont try it again? Wtf

Aye. You should not waste your time as these ignorant must be left alone to suffer and die.

 

[Beast]

Sir, just because you failed previously doesn`t mean you gave up what you dreamt of.
Henry Ford failed 5 times, before successfully creating Ford motor, according to historic data he should have been failed.
Albert Einstein expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School, according to historic data he should have been failed.
J. K. Rowling penniless, severely depressed, divorced, trying to raise a child on her own while attending school and writing a novel, according to historic data she should have been failed.
History is never created by looking how many times you failed, it is created by looking how many times you are going to try. We may have failed to create a fighter aircraft or helicopter, but we will never stop trying to create one. You may talk about about us, laugh at us, or taunt us but one thing is for sure, you cannot ignore us.

There's a different between dreaming and being realistic.

Indian is always too ambition on their project without getting their basic right first.

 

[Kal Muah]

And I dont know what he means about helicopter or even jet. Because Tejas first of all is just getting into production, and getting more orders.

And for helicopters, India is in Dhruv mark 3 at the moment, with Rudra in service. LCH in advanced stages of development, and LUH readying first flight.

And if countries with more of a budget than India, established industry than India can fail and continue, so can India.

And seriously, what type of life example is that, because you fail at some thing dont try it again? Wtf

And I have no idea what the guy is even talking about with cryogenic missiles and russian radars.

kuch to log kahenge, log o kam hai kehna

There's a different between dreaming and being realistic.

Indian is always too ambition on their project without getting their basic right first.

Sir, we Indians are always like this, we dream big, thats how we got independence from Britishers, it always works for us. Maybe Chinese people believe in getting basic thing first and thats ok, we are not judging you, you shouldn`t too.

 

[Sipahi]

Yesterday I saw Tejas flaying under a bridge after smoking lots of weed

 

[Beast]

Sir, we Indians are always like this, we dream big, thats how we got independence from Britishers, it always works for us. Maybe Chinese people believe in getting basic thing first and thats ok, we are not judging you, you shouldn`t too.

How did getting independence from GB link with over ambition project? GB after WWII is no more a power that can hold on to her colonies. It just a matter of time Indian getting independence from British.

Indian over ambition project end up delay of many military project with over run , cancellation and not meeting the targets. The very fact, India now still heavily depend on import for your military hardware proves my point. Indian needs to be realistic. You haven even get a basic UCAV with piston engine right and now wanted to go into stealthy UCAV with a non comfirm turbofan engine? I am wondering who is the idiot who going to approve it?

 

[Kal Muah]

How did getting independence from GB link with over ambition project? GB after WWII is no more a power that can hold on to her colonies. It just a matter of time Indian getting independence from British.

Indian over ambition project end up delay of many military project with over run , cancellation and not meeting the targets. The very fact, India now still heavily depend on import for your military hardware proves my point. Indian needs to be realistic. You haven even get a basic UCAV with piston engine right and now wanted to go into stealthy UCAV with a non comfirm turbofan engine? I am wondering who is the idiot who going to approve it?

Sir, with due respect, its our money, our government, our people, our project, our land, our ambitions. We will loose target, we will import, we will do whatever we want. Thank you, for giving us a reality check, we know what we want to do, and we will do like this only.

 

[HariPrasad]

There's a different between dreaming and being realistic.

Indian is always too ambition on their project without getting their basic right first.

Design is ready. Just e have to make it operational. very simple.

 

[Indian Jatt]

Don't be idiotic above comment from an Indian sources same mentioned above.

so you believe that he is saying something very wrong????? you believe in his statements about our development, but now you don't like historic data when i set my perception about pakistan losing every war.....by historic data you can only create a future perception, its not fixed that the same will happen......

 

[Kal Muah]

Design is ready. Just e have to make it operational. very simple.

so you believe that he is saying something very wrong????? you believe in his statements about our development, but now you don't like historic data when i set my perception about pakistan losing every war.....by historic data you can only create a future perception, its not fixed that the same will happen......

“Never explain to your friends who do not need it and your enemies who will not believe you anyway.”

― Elbert Hubbard

 

[Indian Jatt]

“Never explain to your friends who do not need it and your enemies who will not believe you anyway.”

― Elbert Hubbard

thanks for the million dollar advise

 

[Abingdonboy]

There's a different between dreaming and being realistic.

Indian is always too ambition on their project without getting their basic right first.

India does something= being too ambitious. China's first attempt at designing an entirely homegrown fighter is meant to be a 5th gen VLO fighter but this is, what, not overly ambitious? Overly optimistic?