A second Indian Air Force IAI Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has crashed in Uttarlai, Rajasthan following a engine snag today. ...
A second Indian Air Force IAI Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has crashed in Uttarlai, Rajasthan following a engine snag today.
The surveillance drone took off from the Uttarlai military airbase situated in Barmer district, close to pakistan border.
The crash comes within two months, after another Heron crashed near Bhuj in Gujarat on November 26.
Indian Air Force and Navy operates about 45 of these Israeli built Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs.
Priced over $15 million, Heron is designed to autonomously return to base and land in case of lost communication with the ground control station.
Indian Heron UAV fleet will get an satellite communication upgrade in near future, which will increase its operational range considerably.
In January 2014, India cleared a proposal to acquire 15 more Herons. With a wingspan of 17 metres, the 1.1 tonne UAV can conduct ISR operations in excess of 24 hours, with a maximum speed of more than 100 knots (180 km/h) and at altitudes of up to 10,000 metres.
India also operates the less capable IAI built Searcher Mk I and Mk II drones.
