Indian Air Force Garud Commandos to be Armed with Compact Drones
Indian Air Force. Image courtesy: @IAFIndia
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to arm its Garud commandos with a compact drone that can operate in extreme climate conditions at altitudes up to 16,400 feet, providing them with ISR capabilities
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) initiated the procurement process for the unmanned aerial systems that would come in handy for “high-altitude surveillance” and operational support across a range of terrain and climatic conditions.
According to officials with knowledge of the matter, the IAF special forces also wanted a drone with higher endurance and longer range compared to the unmanned aerial systems that they already possess.
The MoD has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify vendors who could supply the Garuds with the ‘Micro UAV’ system that can carry out day and night surveillance, target acquisition, and real-time situational awareness.
The Micro UAV system should be a compact, lightweight, and man-portable ‘Made in India’ platform designed for Special Forces operations, they said, but better than the “similar system” currently in the Garuds’ use.
“The system is required to operate in extreme environmental conditions, including temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to plus 50 degrees Celsius, and at altitudes up to 16,400 feet above mean sea level,” the officials said.
It should have a minimum mission range of 15 km, endurance of at least 60 minutes, and the ability to “operate with a two-person crew.”
The system must also be capable of operating in GPS-denied environments and be scalable to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, featuring autonomous vertical take-off and landing capability, secure encrypted communication links, and “multiple operational modes” including autonomous, manual, and target tracking modes.
The proposed system will include multiple integrated components such as aerial vehicles, ground control systems, remote video terminals, electro-optical or infrared payloads, power systems, field repair kits, and radio frequency data links.
