11.9.15

Heron TP drones gets Modi Sarkar nod

The government has quietly approved the purchase of 10 missile-armed drones from Israel -a crucial acquisition that will enhance India's cross-border military strike capability .
The $400-million proposal for buying armed Heron TP drones from Israel was cleared last week. These drones will be operated by the Indian Air Force, which has a fleet of reconnaissance drones.IAF also has a fleet of Harpy UAVs from Israel, which are self-destructing systems primarily tasked with taking out enemy radar positions.
The project has been accelerated under directions from the highest levels of government and that armed drones may join service within a year. The armed forces had proposed buying the same armed drones in 2012. But that proposal did not get political backing in UPA-2. The project was revived and fast tracked by the Modi government earlier this year.
Israel's armed Heron drones are similar to the Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are capable of reconnaissance, combat and support roles. Heron drones can carry a payload of over 1,000 kg and will be equipped with airto-ground missiles that detect, track and take down targets deep in enemy territory . India already operates a fleet of unarmed Heron and Searcher UAVs for surveillance and intelligence gathering. The addition of armed UAVs will be a big capability enhancer for India and give it the option of taking out large terrorist camps or individual targets in hostile territory with minimal risk.
While India is pursuing an indigenous drone programme ­ Rustom 2 ­ being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the project is several years away from weaponised induction. Armed flight trials are yet to be carried out.
The Israelis are exploring joint production of drones with India.

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