High-Speed Expandable Aerial Target

04 Jul 2022 High-Speed Expandable Aerial Target

• Recently India successfully test-fired its indigenously designed exercise: High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (Abhyas: High-speed Expendable Aerial Target- HEAT) in Odisha.
• The test was conducted by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.

About exercise:

 Design & Development:

• The exercise has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO.
• ADE is a premier Aeronautical Systems Design Laboratory under DRDO.
• It is involved in the design and development of state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and aeronautical systems and technologies to meet the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.

Features:

• It is powered by gas turbine engine which maintains long flight at subsonic speed.
• It is equipped with Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based Inertial Navigation System (INS) for navigation along with Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control.
• The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight. The air vehicle is tested using a laptop based Ground Control Station (Ground Control System-GCS).
• The exercise system is equipped with Radar Cross-section (RCS) and infrared signature which can be used to simulate different types of aircraft for anti-aircraft warfare exercises and tests designed to target air targets purpose can be done.

Utility:

• It will be used as a target for evaluation of various missile systems.
• It presents a Realistic Threat Scenario for the practice of weapon systems.

Recent Developments:

• In September 2021, DRDO test-fired a new variant of Akash missile- ‘Akash Prime’ from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha.
• DRDO launched Akash-NG (New Generation) and Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) in July 2021.
• A new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-P (Prime) was successfully test fired by DRDO in June 2021.
• In February 2021, India also successfully test-fired indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile systems ‘HELINA’ and ‘Dhruvastra’.
• In October 2020, DRDO successfully flight-tested Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedoes (SMART) from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha.

Yojna IAS Daily Current Affairs Eng med 4th July

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