IAF wants surveillance UAVs that can fly in stratosphere | India News

NEW DELHI: The IAF now wants to amass three high-altitude platform system (HAPS) plane, that are principally unmanned aerial automobiles or ‘pseudo-satellites’ that function in the stratosphere for lengthy durations on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
“Capable of operating at an altitude of about 20km, which is much higher than the flightpaths of commercial planes, the HAPS aircraft will be used for persistent ISR as well as act as airborne data relay for other unmanned platforms for electronic and communications intelligence,” an officer stated.
Initiating the case for the three long-duration HAPS plane and related tools, amid heightened tensions with Pakistan in addition to the dearth of de-escalation alongside Line of Actual Control with China, IAF has issued an preliminary request for info (RFI) for distributors to submit their responses by June 20.
HAPS plane, that are normally solar-powered, are thought of less expensive to deploy and function than satellites. “Capable of automatic take-off and landing, HAPS aircraft do not require launch vehicles or rockets like satellites. They can be deployed from different locations as well as repaired and maintained easily as compared to satellites,” the officer stated.
While the armed forces are additionally pursuing the case for launch-on-demand satellites, IAF wants HAPS plane to have a minimal operational endurance of 48 hours with information hyperlinks and telemetry vary of no less than 150 km in a “line of sight” surroundings.
“The desirable Satcom (satellite communication) is at least 400 km,” the RFI stated. With a detection vary of no less than 50 km from the working altitude, the plane must be appropriate with electro-optical and infrared cameras in addition to digital and communication intelligence payloads. They must be able to successfully working even throughout night time and low-visibility situations. “The complete delivery is expected to be completed in 18 months from the date of the contract,” the RFI stated.
IAF is parallelly pursuing a case for 3 ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, concentrating on and reconnaissance) plane to supply correct “actionable intelligence” acquired by way of artificial aperture radars, electro-optical and infrared sensors.
Under the much-touted Defence Technology and Trade Initiative between India and the US, which has largely did not ship until now, ISTAR platforms have been among the many totally different tasks recognized for co-development and co-production.