DRDO Nishant

DRDO Nishant Story

Indias Defence Research and Development Authority (DRDO) spearheaded the DRDO Nishant initiative and joined other major military powers in the world to increase the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Nishant is an unarmed drone used for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, and artillery support, but is also being considered for a variety of other battlefield roles.

The aircraft first flew in 1995, passed required Indian Army tests, and is in limited production as of this writing (October 2013). Nishant was born at the request of the Indian Army in 1988.

The Nishant utilizes a traditional aircraft layout and follows accepted UAV design forms - especially for low-altitude operations where longer latency and onboard optical payload stability are required. It has a central nacelle that forms the fuselage and contains avionics and payload, as well as engines and fuel storage.

Wings are straight attachments mounted high on the fuselage. The stern consists of a double-arm structure, connected at the rear by a horizontal plane. On the outside of this plane is the vertical tail. The Nishant has no fixed landing gear, as the Nishant is launched via a catapult system and recovered using a parachute and landing pad to delay the fall. As a result, Nichant's operations are a bit simpler than their overall production.

The optical element is secured in a positionable blister assembly located in the abdomen. A conventional engine unit drives a two-bladed propeller in a "thrust" arrangement at the rear of the aircraft. The Nishant weighs 400 pounds and can carry a 100-pound payload.

Dimensionally, the vehicle measures 15 feet in length and has a wingspan of 21.5 feet. It was designed so that the fuselage had a top speed of 115 mph and a cruising speed of nearly 80 mph. Operating range is listed as 100 miles, with service capped at less than 12,000 feet.

The Nishant is launched from a hydropneumatic rail system located on the chassis of a Tatra series 8x8 military truck. Serving in other military forms, including missile launcher platforms, the truck is a field-proven component that makes the Nishant essentially all-terrain. Combined with the aircraft's 4.5 hour mission duration window, the system became a valuable tactical asset for Indian Army operations.

The complete Nishant kit includes a Ground Control Station (GCS), specially trained operators and appropriate equipment carriers to ensure proper operation of the drone.

In July 1999, the Indian Army deployed Nishant in the disputed Kashmir region against Pakistan-aligned forces, where its reconnaissance capabilities were put to good use. Since then, the type has been modified to meet the specifications required by the Indian Army, including the use of internal engines.

In May 2010, The Times of India reported that two Nishant drones had crashed in the village of Jaisalmer. The airframes were looted by villagers before Indian troops arrived.

This comes on top of two incidents involving Nishants in April 2010, when the drone was forced to make an emergency landing during an attempt.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

ARMAMENT

VARIANTS