ABHYAS: High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target
India successfully tested the indigenously-designed Abhyas – a High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) – in Odisha.
- The trial was carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Odisha’s Chandipur.
- ABHYAS Designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), of DRDO.
- ADE is a key Aeronautical Systems Design Laboratory under DRDO.
- It is involved in the design and development of the state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Aeronautical Systems and technologies to meet the requirements of the Indian Armed forces.
- It is powered by a gas turbine engine to sustain a long endurance flight at subsonic speed.
- It is equipped with a MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)-based Inertial Navigation System (INS) for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control.
- The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight and their check-out is done using a laptop-based Ground Control Station (GCS).
- Abhyas system is equipped with Radar Cross-Section (RCS) and infrared signatures which can be used to simulate a variety of aircraft for the practice of anti-aircraft warfare and also for the testing designed to target aerial targets.
- It will be used as a target for the evaluation of various missile systems.
- It offers a realistic threat scenario for practice of weapon systems.
