DRDO Ghatak

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Ghatak
Role Stealth Unmanned Combat aerial Vehicle
National origin India
Designer Aeronautical Development Agency
Aeronautical Development Establishment
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
First flight 2025–2026 (expected)[1]
Status Technology demonstrator taxi trials completed
Primary user Indian Air Force (expected)

Ghatak is an autonomous stealthy unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), being developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Air Force.[2][3] The design work on the UCAV is to be carried out by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft (AURA) was a tentative name for the UCAV.[4][5] Details of the project are classified.[6]

The UCAV will be capable of releasing missiles, bombs and precision-guided munitions. The programme is in its project definition stage. The design is in line with what former DRDO chief controller for Aeronautics said in 2007, that India's combat drone would be a stealthy flying-wing concept aircraft with internal weapons bay and a turbofan engine.

First flight of a scaled down testbed is scheduled in 2021 and that of a full scale prototype is expected in 2024–25. The first fight is expected to occur by 2025–26.

Description[]

Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft (AURA) was a tentative name for an Indian UCAV project,[5] but was eventually called the Ghatak UCAV.[1][4]

The ADA describes the UCAV as a "self-defending high-speed reconnaissance UAV with weapon firing capability".[7] The UCAV will cruise at medium altitude and will be capable of carrying two or more guided strike weapons with on-board sensors for targeting and weapon guidance.

The flight control system and data link packages of the UCAV will be created by ADA and Defence Electronics Application Laboratory.[8]

DRDO's Chief Controller, R&D (aeronautics), Dr Prahlada said, "capable of flying at altitudes of 30,000 ft [9,144 m] and weighing less than 15 tonnes, the UCAVs will have rail-launching for the missiles, bombs and PGMs (precision-guided munitions) they will carry."[9] In 2015, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed Rajya Sabha that UCAV will be powered by a dry Kaveri engine variant,[10] which will have a thrust of 52 kilonewtons.[4] It is said to employ a fluid thrust vectoring method.

Development[]

Stealth Wing Flying Testbed (SWiFT)[]

The Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft was a feasibility study started in 2009 with a budget of ₹125 million (equivalent to ₹270 million or US$3.5 million in 2020) and successfully completed in April 2013.[4]

Initial funding of ₹2.31 billion (equivalent to ₹2.8 billion or US$37 million in 2020) for the project was sanctioned by the Government of India in May 2016.[11][1]

As of March 2017, a full-scale model was being built for testing.[12][1]

A technology demonstrator called Stealth Wing Flying Testbed (SWiFT) which is a precursor project being developed by Aeronautical Development Agency, Aeronautical Development Establishment and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.[13][14] It is intended to develop technologies required for the final Ghatak UCAV.[1] A prototype of the SWiFT is expected to be flight-tested by 2021 with a NPO Saturn 36MT turbofan engine.[1]

In Q4 of 2020, a small version of delta wing UAV was developed by ADA and IISc and test flown in Hosur. The UAV utilised a microjet engine and attained a maximum velocity of 190 km/h (120 mph) during flight.[15] As of 2021, the Ghatak name has been dropped and the overall programme gained a flagship status with full support from Union Government. The project will also include a deck-based UCAV for Indian Navy.[14]

In June 2021, DRDO initiated ground trials of the first assembled prototype weighing 1 ton all-up weight and powered by NPO Saturn 36MT turbofan engine. The Russian engine will be replaced by Manik Small Turbofan Engine (STFE) at later stage developed Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) which was already successfully tested on Nirbhay cruise missile and (ITCM).[16] The prototype will collect data on controllability of flying wing configuration and design stability, aircraft flight control system, autonomous landing and take-off technology, retractable landing gear system and radar cross-section. Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) developed the 1 ton weight class retractable landing gear for SWiFT and delivered it to ADE for integration. It was already certified by Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA).[17]

The prototype is 4 m long with a 5 m long wingspan. The maximum range to receive ground commands is 200 km with an overall weight of 1,050 kg. It can achieve an altitude of 6 km above mean sea-level with flight endurance record of 1 hour. Apart from being a precursor for technology development related to Ghatak project, SWiFT will also move ahead as separate project under unmanned wingman bomber program.[17]

See also[]

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Aroor, Shiv. "EXCLUSIVE: Inside The World Of India's Most Secret Combat Aircraft Program". Livefist. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  2. ^ "India to develop unmanned combat aerial vehicle". Hindustan Times. IANS. 25 November 2009.
  3. ^ "New Imagery Details Indian Aura UCAV". Aviation Week & Space Technology. 16 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d "India set to develop own stealth combat drones". The Times of India. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  5. ^ a b Pubby, Manu (15 July 2018). "Government set to clear Rs 3,000 crore plan to develop engine for India's first UCAV". The Economic Times. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  6. ^ "India developing unmanned combat aerial vehicle". India Today. 10 June 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Make in India sees first unmanned UAV". Ahmedabad Mirror. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  8. ^ Ghosh, Anirvan (17 January 2011). "We never had a single failure in 1,500 flights of Tejas: ADE". The Economic Times. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  9. ^ Pandit, Rajat (11 April 2011). "India quietly begins combat drone project". The Economic Times.
  10. ^ "Indigenous Kaveri engine to power Unmanned Combat Aircraft". Business Standard. PTI. 30 July 2015.
  11. ^ "DRDO Projects". Ministry of Defence. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via Press Information Bureau.
  12. ^ Aroor, Shiv. "EXCLUSIVE: India's Ghatak Stealth UCAV Moves Forward, Likely With Dassault". Livefist. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Special Innovative Defence Projects". Ministry of Defence. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2019 – via Press Information Bureau.
  14. ^ a b Krishnan M, Anantha (10 January 2021). "ADE steps into new decade with planeloads of critical projects". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  15. ^ CS, Hemant (3 November 2020). "ADA-IISC'S REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFULLY TEST FLOWN". Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  16. ^ Rout, Hemant Kumar (11 August 2021). "DRDO tastes maiden success with new turbofan engine in indigenous cruise missile". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  17. ^ a b "DRDO initiates the trials of advanced stealth SWiFT drone". NewsOnAIR -. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.

External links[]

Technical:

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