Adani Defence Delivers Second Drishti-10 Surveillance Drone To Indian Navy
With a 450 kg payload capacity, Drishti-10 Starliner is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform with 36-hour endurance.
Adani Defence and Aerospace has delivered the second Drishti-10 Starliner drone to the Indian Navy. The acquisition of the unmanned aerial vehicle is expected to boost the anti-piracy monitoring capabilities of the maritime forces.
The induction of Drishti-10 Starliner, seen as a version of the Israel's Hermes 900 medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, was initiated at Porbandar in Gujarat, news agency PTI reported, citing sources privy to the development.
The induction is a key moment in India's journey toward self-reliance in defence technology, the sources reportedly said.
The drone was manufactured by Adani Defence, a unit of the Adani Group, at its Hyderabad facility. With a 450 kg payload capacity, Drishti-10 Starliner is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform with 36-hour endurance.
The UAV is cleared to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace, the PTI report said. The persons privy to the development told the news agency that its platform provides over the horizon, persistent multi payload, fully autonomous capabilities and Satcom-based operations.
The Drishti 10 is a force multiplier providing the Indian Navy with the ability to monitor vast maritime territories and unparalleled situational awareness, the report added.
This marks the first-ever integration of such an advanced payload suites onto a medium altitude long endurance or MALE platform, enabling the Indian Navy with differentiated capabilities to dominate maritime surveillance, the persons who spoke to the news agency said.
MALE UAVs are typically used for surveillance and reconnaissance, and can have a flight endurance of 24 to 48 hours.
Earlier, in January this year, Adani Defence had delivered the first Drishti-10 Starliner to the Indian Navy. This was followed by the delivery of the second Drishti-10 Starliner to the Indian Army in June.
The Indian Army will deploy the first drone at its Bhatinda base in Punjab. The UAV can be used to keep a tab on the entire western border with Pakistan.
Notably, Drishti 10 is India's only indigenous UAV operating reliably above 32,000 feet with large payload carrying capacity and distinctively long endurance. The drone has not only endured in harsh conditions, but excelled by proving its resilience over the challenging terrains and climates of the Himalayas, the sources aware about the developments told PTI.
Adani Defence, in less than three years, has achieved what generally takes five to six years in this sector, the report pointed out. The company has delivered MALE UAV capabilities to both the Indian Army and Navy.
With PTI inputs
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