General Atomics SeaGuardian
It has been talked about quite a bit now and most are aware but just to reinstate, the United States has also offered India the armed version of Guardian drones that were originally authorised for sale as unarmed for surveillance purposes, a senior US official recently said. If the deal comes to fruition, it would be the first time Washington has sold a large armed drone to a country outside the NATO alliance. It would also be the first high-tech unmanned aircraft in the region, where tensions between India and Pakistan perpetually run high.
In April 2018, President Donald Trump’s administration rolled out a long-awaited overhaul of US arms export policy aimed at expanding sales to allies, saying it would bolster the American defence industry and create jobs at home. The plan included a new drone export policy that allowed lethal drones that could fire missiles, and surveillance drones of all sizes, to be more widely available to allies. Last June, General Atomics said the US government had approved the sale of a naval variant of the drone. India has been in talks to buy 22 of the unarmed surveillance aircraft, MQ-9B SeaGuardian, worth more than $2 billion to keep watch over the Indian Ocean. Besides potentially including the armed version of the drone, the sources said the number of aircraft had also changed.
An Indian defence source said the military wanted a drone not just for surveillance but also to be able to hunt down targets at land and sea. The military had argued the costs of acquisition did not justify buying an unarmed drone. The cost and integration of the weapons system are still issues, as well as Indian assent to the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) which Washington insists on as a condition for operating advanced defence systems. US drone manufacturers, facing growing competition overseas, especially from Chinese and Israeli rivals which often sell under lighter restrictions, have lobbied hard for the changes in US export rules. Among the changes will be a more lenient application by the US government of an arms export principle known as “presumption of denial.” This has impeded many drone deals by automatically denying approval unless a compelling security reason is given together with strict buyer agreements to use the weapons in accordance with international law.
The MTCR – a 1987 missile-control pact signed by the United States and 34 other countries – will still require strict export controls on Predator-type drones, which it classifies as Category 1, those with a payload of over 1,100 pounds (500 kg). However, the Trump administration is seeking to renegotiate the MTCR accord to eventually make it easier to export the larger armed drones.
Meanwhile, India's first private Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drone manufacturing facility has been inaugurated in Hyderabad. The facility has been set up by Adani Defence & Aerospace, and Elbit Systems. The 50,000 square feet facility would also be the first facility outside Israel to manufacture Hermes 900 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. It was inaugurated by Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali last year. Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani stated, "Our foray into defence and aerospace has a deep personal significance for me. I want us to be able to look back and reflect that Adani Group did its bit to help build a more self-reliant India, the nation that is second to none in its defence manufacturing capabilities." The factory will be engaged in manufacturing complete carbon composite aerostructures for Hermes 900, followed by Hermes 450, catering to the global markets and will be further ramped up for the assembly and integration of complete UAVs. Apart from the UAV Complex, the Adani Aerospace Park was also inaugurated by the Home Minister of Telangana.
Elbit Systems CEO and president Bezhalel Machilis stated, "This facility where the Hermes 900 (MALE) and the Hermes 450-the most advanced UAV systems in the world will be manufactured, is in line with Indian government's strategic plan and enables us to share our extensive experience in defence systems and benefit from the dedicated Indian workforce as well.
Also, interestingly, and news out of nowhere, the Indian Army has selected the SpyLite mini unmanned air vehicle offered by Cyient Solutions & Systems – a joint venture between local company Cyient and Israel's BlueBird Aero Systems ¬– for a high-altitude surveillance requirement. On 4 September 2018, the company announced that the SpyLite was the only candidate to have met the army's need to perform real-time surveillance and target acquisition tasks during trials performed from 18,000ft above sea level, including in extreme weather conditions.
The UAV demonstrated quick operational readiness, from autonomous launch to precision recovery by parachute, during the trials. The activity included supplying real-time video footage by day and night, automatic return and recovery in a “no communication” situation, and the ability for an operator to control the system from a moving ground vehicle. BlueBird chief executive Ronen Nadir says the Indian army requires a highly reliable, low-cost and field-proven UAV with high performance, diverse capabilities and ease of use.
SpyLite mini unmanned air vehicle
Currently, five Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are being used by the Indian Armed Forces. First, there is the Nishant. This was made for Indian Army and this UAV was developed by DRDO’s branch, Aeronautical Development Establishment. It requires a launching system with catapult technology as it doesn’t have self-propelling ability and gets down with the help of a parachute. The Indian army has cancelled further orders of this UAV and decided to retire it.
Then there are three from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the first of them being the Heron. This is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV, which is used by Indian Air Force. Developed by Israel, it has a flight time of 52 hours, but its actual time of flight depends on weight it carries and flight profile. It has some advanced features like artillery adjustment, surveillance and intelligence tasks. The Harpy from IAI is also used by Indian armed forces. It can carry explosive as well as can destroy radar systems while loitering. It can also carry out actions of suppression of enemy air defence to control and overcome air defence systems, including surface to air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. It has a maximum speed of 185 km/hr and 500 km range of flight. The third IAI UAV, the Searcher UAV can attain a speed of 200km/hour and can fly up to 18 hours. Indian Navy and Air Force are the users in Indian armed forces. It performs the role of reconnaissance in the armed forces.
Then there is the Rustom. This is an unnamed combat air vehicle, a production of DRDO dedicated to all three services of Indian armed forces. The project is under progress and some top private players in defence field are bidding for its manufacturing deal. This UAV has come with wheels which makes its take-off and landing more advanced than the Nishant. Its variant Rustom -2 is also under progress with more specification and durability.
IAI Harpy
DRDO’s Rustam-II