Context
- Recently, the Indian Navy ordered a Board of Inquiry (BoI) after a Drishti-10 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) crashed near Dharampur village in Porbandar district, Gujarat, during a routine training sortie.
- This is the second reported crash involving the Hermes-900/Drishti-10 platform in recent months, raising concerns regarding its reliability during pre-induction trials.
What is the Drishti-10 UAV?
- Drishti-10 is an Indigenous Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
- It is manufactured in India by Adani Defence & Aerospace under a partnership with Israel’s Elbit Systems.
- The Indian Navy procured two Drishti-10 UAVs under emergency procurement in 2023.
- Approximate cost: ₹140 crore per aircraft.
Key Features
- Category: MALE UAV
- Capable of:
- Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)
- Maritime surveillance.
- Border monitoring.
- Target tracking.
- Disaster monitoring.
- Operates beyond visual line of sight.
- Equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors for day-and-night surveillance.
- Can remain airborne for over 30 hours (platform capability).
- Suitable for surveillance over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
What is a MALE UAV?
MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAVs are unmanned aircraft designed to operate for long durations at medium altitudes.
Characteristics
- Altitude: Approximately 10,000–30,000 feet
- Endurance: More than 24 hours
- They are primarily utilized for continuous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over large geographic areas, allowing militaries to maintain persistent situational awareness.
Examples
- Drishti-10 (India)
- Hermes-900 (Israel)
- MQ-9 Reaper (USA)
Major Indigenous UAVs
| UAV | Developed by | Purpose |
| Drishti-10 | Adani Defence & Elbit Systems | Maritime Surveillance |
| TAPAS BH-201 | DRDO | MALE Surveillance UAV |
| Rustom-I | DRDO | Surveillance |
| Nishant | DRDO | Battlefield reconnaissance |
| Archer-NG | HAL | Tactical surveillance |
With reference to the Drishti-10 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), recently seen in the news, consider the following statements:
1. Drishti-10 is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV.
2. It is manufactured by Adani Defence & Aerospace in collaboration with USA's Elbit Systems.
3. It is primarily designed for maritime surveillance and intelligence gathering.
4. It is an armed Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) capable of carrying missiles.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only
Explanation
• Statement 1 is Correct: Drishti-10 belongs to the MALE category of UAVs.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: It is manufactured by Adani Defence & Aerospace under partnership with Israel's Elbit Systems.
• Statement 3 is Correct: It is intended mainly for ISR and maritime surveillance missions.
• Statement 4 is Incorrect: Drishti-10 is primarily a surveillance UAV, not an armed UCAV.