India quietly begins combat drone project

[Major Sahab]

^^^ Stupidity hides the actual secrecy

No, No, No, No, Don`t take it so serious my little friend. Just remember that things happened against what we never thought to accept. Its okay my beautiful friend. Its okay don`t mind it and be cool for ever.

 

[jha]

If you read when the research on X-37 was going on in the USA? It was being developed back in the 1960's or 50's. It speaks volumes....india needs an think tank that focuses on the cutting edge with creative imagination for futuristic threats. We are seriously lacking in this department if we have only begun work 3-4 yrs ago...Dudes stop making excuses like for corruption! This a major problem along with others that need to be addressed.

Where was the money to finance these projects..? We were practically bankrupt (almost ) till early 90's ...feeding 1.2 Bill. people is much more important than chasing these dreams..

 

[Major Sahab]

Where was the money to finance these projects..? We were practically bankrupt (almost ) till early 90's ...feeding 1.2 Bill. people is much more important than chasing these dreams..

Ya, I know that mate.

 

[WHITESMOKE]

I totally agreed!!!!!!!

I have a best quote for this reply. Though its in hard core Punjabi but translating it in English

Witness of well is a frog

 

[axisofevil]

Where was the money to finance these projects..? We were practically bankrupt (almost ) till early 90's ...feeding 1.2 Bill. people is much more important than chasing these dreams..

I hear you bro, but damn we made some major mistakes early on right after independence. We should invested a great deal of resources on primary education level.

 

[sancho]

good.

15 ton? it is larger than mig-29. :mps

Have some doubts on that as well, maybe they meant 15000 lb, which fits better to comparable developments:

Dassault nEUROn - 13000 lb
Northrop Grumman X-47B - 14000 lb

 

[aakash_2410]

I totally agreed!!!!!!!

Are you even Nepalese? Just wondering because you've put thakre's photo in 'wanted' list and the photo is written in some arabian script! Nepalese use Devanagari script!! And 85% of the population are hindus!

 

[DANGER-ZONE]

thats the problem with you guys, you cant start any thing quietly

 

[Dash]

thats the problem with you guys, you cant start any thing quietly

Like what Nuke test and INS Arihant?

 

[illuminatidinesh]

Like what Nuke test and INS Arihant?

He will rebuff with something else...

 

[Laughing_soldier]

Have some doubts on that as well, maybe they meant 15000 lb, which fits better to comparable developments:

Dassault nEUROn - 13000 lb
Northrop Grumman X-47B - 14000 lb

this mean AURA is bigger than neuron and x-47b.

 

[WAQAS119]

How can this be a quiet project when their is a big headline in indian news websites and bragging is going on on Pakistan Defence Forum as always

 

[IND151]

NEW DELHI: India is quietly going ahead with an ambitious programme to develop its own stealth UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles) or 'smart' drones capable of firing missiles and bombs at enemy targets with precision.

Talking about the secretive AURA (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) programme for the first time, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) told TOI that the aim is to develop the UCAVs for IAF in seven to eight years.

"With Rs 50 crore as seed money, a full-fledged project team with 15-18 scientists has already begun work on the UCAV's preliminary design and technology. With on-board mission computers, data links, fire control radars, identification of friend or foe, and traffic collision avoidance systems, they will be highly intelligent drones," DRDO's chief controller R&D (aeronautics) Dr Prahlada said.

"Capable of flying at altitudes of 30,000 feet and weighing less than 15 tonnes, the UCAVs will have rail-launching for the missiles, bombs and PGMs (precision-guided munitions) they will carry," he added.

The realisation that UCAVs are "game-changers in modern-day warfare" has been reinforced by the successful use of American 'Predator' and 'Reaper' drones, armed with Hellfire and other missiles, against the Taliban in the region.

"But unlike Predators, which are like aircraft, our UCAVs will be more of 'a flying-wing' in design. This will ensure they have a low radar cross-section to evade enemy sensors," said Dr Prahlada.

Pakistan, incidentally, has been after the US to get Predators but so far has only managed to extract assurances for supply of the unarmed 'Shadow' drones for intelligence-gathering missions.

DRDO, on its part, is confident of developing the UCAVs mainly on its own, with "some foreign consultancy or collaboration" in fields like stealth as well as autonomous short-run take-off and landing.

Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) at Bangalore is the main nodal DRDO lab for the AURA project, with others like Defence Avionics Research Establishment (Bangalore), Defence Electronics Application Lab (Dehradun) and Gas Turbine Research Establishment (Bangalore) chipping in.

As earlier reported by TOI, apart from spy drones, India already has some "killer" drones like Israeli Harpy and Harop UAVs. These drones basically act as cruise missiles by detecting and then destroying specific enemy targets and radars by exploding into them.

if bolded part (1st) is true it means that they have started work already because demand is ambitious.

 

[koushik]

It would be real good to see smart munitions integrated on the AURA UCAV.how about weapons like CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon,Sudarshan LGB,Paveway-IV LGB Kit,KAB-1500L LGB.

 

[Kinetic]

Want to clear some doubts that this Aura UCAV is not like Predator/Mentis but like France's Neuron and UK's Taranis. Most probably larger than them.