Context

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted successful flight-tests of the indigenously-designed Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) in Balasore.

About

• Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) is a drone (UAV) that will be used as a target for various missile systems.
• Abhyas is capable of fully-autonomous flight and runs on a gas turbine engine.
• Its inertial navigation system is based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and it uses a flight control computer for guidance and control.
  • MEMS is a process technology used to create tiny integrated devices or systems that combine mechanical and electrical components.
• Abhyas has RCS, Visual and IR augmentation systems required for weapon practice. 
• The air vehicle is launched using twin underslung boosters.
• It is powered by a small gas turbine engine and has an Inertial Navigation System (INS) along with a Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control.
• The vehicle has been programmed for fully autonomous flight. The check out of the vehicle is done using laptop- based Ground Control Station (GCS).
• It is designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO.

What are drones (UAV)? Unmanned aerial vehicle technology covers everything from the aerodynamics of the drone, materials in the manufacture of the physical UAV, to the circuit boards, chipset and software, which are the brains of the drone. UAV drones are equipped with different state of the art technology such as infrared cameras, GPS and laser (consumer, commercial and military UAV). Drones are controlled by remote ground control systems (GSC) and also referred to as a ground cockpit.