DRDO develops unmanned aerial vehicle for operations in Himalayan frontier

Aiming to improve logistics for operations in the Himalayas, India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a untethered multi-copter payload, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), capable of flying with a five kilo payload.

Unveiled at the 108th Indian Science Congress in Maharashtra's Nagpur, the craft is capable of dropping bombs in enemy territories.

According to DRDO officials, trials of the multi-copter were conducted at Sikkim at an altitude of 14,000 ft, with the product set to undergo two more trials before it is ready for induction in the Armed Forces.


DRDO official Mahesh Sahu told PTI that the organisation is working on increasing the capacity of the UAV up to 30 kg.

The multi-copter can carry out autonomous missions with waypoint navigation up to 5 km radius, he added.

The payload UAV can be helpful to drop medicines for soldiers deployed at high altitude or war zones, Sahu said.

Beacon-based landing accuracy of 100 mm, ground vehicle follow mode and modular design for ease of operation are some of the other features of the multi-copter payload.