Let me rephrase.
More than 1000hp power at hand and 2+ ton external payload capacity class.
Indian UAV Procurement Programs : General Discussions
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More than 1000hp power at hand and 2+ ton external payload capacity class.
Heron TP and MQ-9B are in the same class, with an all-up weight of around 5.7 tons and a payload of 2.5 tons, each powered by a single turboprop engine.
Meanwhile, the Eurodrone has a total weight of 11 tons and a payload of around 2.5 tons, powered by two turboprop engines. It will be expensive and inefficient in every parameter.
Government scraps deals for 400 defence drones with Chinese parts
NEW DELHI: Cracking the whip on domestic private sector companies that are using Chinese components in drones being supplied to the armed forces, the defence establishment has now scrapped three contracts for the induction of 400 logistics drones by the Army.
The defence establishment is also putting a "stringent mechanism" in place to ensure the military drones being acquired do not have "any Chinese parts or electronics as well as malicious codes", sources told TOI.
The contracts that have been scrapped for 200 medium-altitude, 100 heavy-weight and 100 light-weight logistics drones, collectively worth over Rs 230 crore, were inked with a Chennai-based company under emergency procurement provisions by the Army in 2023.These drones were primarily meant for deployment along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control with China, following the military confrontation that erupted in April 2020 after the People's Liberation Army made multiple incursions into eastern Ladakh.
"Unfortunately, some Indian companies are using Chinese components and electronics in the drones they are producing for the armed forces. This is a major cybersecurity threat, with the possibility of data security and operations being compromised," a source said.
"An adversary can seize control of a drone or 'soft kill' it through jamming. There may be a 'backdoor' in the electronics that bypasses security protection measures," he added.
All this has gained urgency after some cases of operational failures in the deployment of UAVs for tactical ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) missions along the borders with China and Pakistan.
In Aug last year, an infantry unit deployed along the Line of Control in the Rajouri sector inexplicably lost control of a fixed-wing VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) UAV, which then veered into Pakistan-occupied J&K.
"An investigation was conducted into the incident. The drone-manufacturer was also called for it. It seems there was some technical glitch in the drone. The Army is using over 180 of these drones and the feedback about them is generally positive. The incident in Aug could be an aberration," another source said.
Nevertheless, the defence establishment-Army has increased the level of checks during procurement, with more comprehensive certifications to be provided by drone-manufacturers.
Artemon Aerospace Loitering Munitions flight testing. pic.twitter.com/RxHucq0JJz— Frontliner (@FrontlinerUV) September 3, 2024
is the payload figure correct ? I mean I always find French figures on par with chinese claims.
I think this is tailor made for MQ-9B
Its for Adani Drishti-10 Starliner. MQ-9B will cost multiple times more.
It looks like they are skipping the project cheetah heron upgrade and going for new buy.
Drishti-10 starliner has ~32k altitude according to brochure numbers.
The requirements mentioned says 35k+ feet altitude.
They are probably looking for more mq9 or eurodrone.
I don't think so Hermes-900 can qualify any of the criteria even remotely. This is tailor made to buy more MQ-9Bs and it makes sense as well.
> Qualifies altitude and endurance criteria by a long margin
> It's engine is similar to the ones already made by HAL for decades, making >60% indigenous criteria possible with control on propulsion.
> The MQ-9B is already going to be assembled in India for 31 drone deal under transfer of technology agreements.
> We've already paid for it's long term maintenance repair overhaul services, infra, training and weapons (some like Hellfire also fired from Apache)
> Since it is tri-service requirement, Navy can get additional SeaGuardians
> Other option is Heron-TP, for which new infra will have to be set up and additional costs on training, maintenance and all will have to be spent, and engine imported. And anyways after Hermes-900 performance episode and general performance of IAI drones which have been crashing frequently, I doubt we'll go for it.
The MQ-9B also offers a much more advanced sensor suite, MTOW, endurance and range, and it costs probably as much as the Heron-TP itself according to past reports.
IAI Eitan/Heron-TP checks all the boxes too. And Adani could always locally manufacture those here. IAI would love to sell those to Indian forces through Adani.Link to brochure:
It is going to be Heron-TP. Heron mk2 isn't armed though and our experience with it was lacklustre. Its big brother Heron-TP can be armed. And has a much higher ceiling.
Heron Mk-2 doesn't have the endurance and altitude to be bought, and it's service history is also poor. I don't see anything beyond more MQ-9Bs and I hope it is that only. It's much superior to anything else.
Also any one has any idea about the sensor suite of Hermes-900 we've ordered?
Let's not dwell on the 35,000 feet number. They specify that its MALE and number indicates a replacement for Heron. Buying american for these kind of numbers is too expensive.
Correct, Indian army already operates Heron Mk2 purchased under EP same as Adani's Drishti-10. HAL also have an MoU to licence manufacture those. I believe its either of those.
Shishir Gupta says project cheetah is still on the table.
You could be right. It can be anything at this point.
Dhristi -10 already has a poor record, and the brochure numbers & the operationl numbers are very different,
It can't be mq-9 those are expensive and even more expensive to maintain,
From the requirements the Archer is dead, they still don't have faith in domestic products
