DRDO holds 1st flight of unmanned aircraft
HT Correspondent
NEW DELHI: India inched closer towards developing unmanned aircraft technology, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday carrying out the maiden flight test of the ‘autonomous flying wing technology demonstrator’ in Karnataka, officials familiar with the matter said.
The test, carried out from the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, is being seen as an important milestone in the development of unmanned aircraft. “Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, waypoint navigation and a smooth touchdown. This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is a significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies,” the defence ministry said in a statement. The airframe, undercarriage and flight control and avionics systems used for the aircraft tested on Friday have been developed indigenously.
“The ‘flying wing’ is the design of most modern aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles in the world. The first successful flight reflects the technological advances India has made in this field,” said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director-general, Centre for Air Power Studies. “Congratulations to @DRDO_INDIA on the successful maiden flight of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator from Chitradurga ATR. It is a major achievement towards autonomous aircraft which will pave the way for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in terms of critical military systems,” Defence minister Rajnath said on Twitter.
DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of the teams associated with the design, development and testing of the system.