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17 Mar 22. Hyderabad Defence Startup Claims to Have UAVs for High-Altitude Combat. A Hyderabad-based start-up claims that its rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can fly unimpeded in most adverse areas to a height of 18,000 feet above sea level for surveillance and combat needs over the Himalayas. Ramdas M Kumbala, 42, of Hindustan UAV Systems, which has been developing UAVs since 2015, claimed his three designs were suitable for the Indian armed forces confronting threats from enemies at the highest altitudes along the Line of Control (LOC) and the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Two of Kumbala’s prototypes were on show at an event hosted by the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME) in Secunderabad on Tuesday. His prototypes resembled small helicopters and, according to him, have a variety of applications depending on the applications.
“My latest rotary-winged UAV can take off from any hazardous environment and fly for 6 hours at above 18,000 feet with a payload of 60 kilogrammes despite strong winds and snow.” The CXS-250 can be utilised at any time of day or night. “If the government funds me, I can turn my idea into a prototype ready for a flight test in nine months,” Kumbala added.
On Tuesday, though, the model was not on exhibit.
His first product, the CN-50, has a cargo of 10 kg and can fly for 2 hours straight at a height of 9000 feet, covering 50 kilometres. The model was created in India, with the exception of the engine, which was imported from Europe. “We’re at level 9 of test readiness, and lab tests on the rig are presently underway.” It can carry a missile with a range of 4 kilometres.”
The CX-80, his second aircraft on show, he claimed, was even superior since it had a coaxial rotary-wing design (one rotor on top of another on a single axis and rotating them in opposite directions). “At 16,400 feet above sea level, this UAV can fly for four hours with a cargo of 20 kg. My drones can operate in areas where GPS is not available since they use inertial navigation systems.
It features a three-hour floating system and a landing deck finder, as well as a camera with a 15-kilometer visual range,” Kumbala noted, detailing the benefits of his device.
Lieutenant General TSA Narayanan, Commandant of MCEME and Colonel Commandant, Corps of EME, told indianexpress.com that the iron curtain has been lifted and the Indian Army is ready to assist entrepreneurs. “It’s as simple as sending a suggestion to the Army Design Bureau via Whatsapp or email,” he explained.
The seminar was organised by MCEME in partnership with the Administrative Staff College of India and was titled ‘Encouraging Defence Startups Towards Development of the Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) in Telangana State’ (ASCI). The Indian Army will work with the state government of Telangana to support more defence entrepreneurs at T-Hub, the state’s innovation ecosystem enabler.
Maj Gen KV Jauhar, the Additional Director General of Army Design Bureau, Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX), agreed to post his contact information on the internet for startups to contact him after hearing their concerns at the seminar. “All of the Army’s problem statements are available on the internet. Send him a proposal via WhatsApp or email (ADG-ADB).
Lt Gen Narayanan stated, “He will have a video conference with the startup, and if they (ADB) find it attractive, they will be called to Delhi for subsequent steps.”
The conference was attended by a number of industry specialists as well as defence start-ups. All participating startups have been urged to submit proposals by the ADB. Kumbala now hopes that the government will provide him with assistance from here on out. “I’m reaching the end of my patience.” I’ve put all of my earnings into my projects. “I can only last six more months like this,” he added. (Source: UAS VISION/Defence Aviation Post)
17 Mar 22. Ukraine’s Unmanned Air War. On 13 March, Major General Igor Yevgenyevich Konashenkov, chief spokesman for the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, claimed that 128 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces had been destroyed by Russian forces since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine (although he spuriously maintained the line of “special military operation’).
If correct, this would mean that Ukraine’s entire known fleet of some 50 plus armed Bayraktar TB2 UAVs had been destroyed, although Turkey is reported to have delivered more during the invasion.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on 9 March that his government would provide $50m in new aid to Ukraine. Some of this will be used to purchase WesCam surveillance cameras for Ukraine’s TB2 UAVs. Last April, Canada had stopped exports of L3Harris Wescam to Turkey because TB2s were used by Azeri forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The destruction of several Russian Forpost UAVs have been confirmed including at least one that was originally built as an Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) Searcher II which was shot down on 11 March.
A Ukraine Soviet-era jet Tu-143 tactical UAV was destroyed on 8 March and the same type was involved in a bizarre incident two days later. On 11 March, Croatia’s National Security Council said “a pilotless military aircraft”, later identified as a Tu-143 and currently only used by Ukraine forces, entered Croatian airspace overnight from neighbouring Hungary at a speed of 377 knots (700 km/hr) and an altitude of 4,300 feet (1,300 metres) and crashed near Zagreb. No one was injured and no buildings were damaged. On 14 March a Russian Orlan-10 flew 80km into Romania, a NATO country.
Several Russian ENICS E95 ramjet-powered aerial targets have been found in Ukraine, which have been used to draw out Ukraine air defences and there is speculation that a large number of Russian An-2 biplanes moved to Seshcha airbase near the eastern Ukrainian border and may be modified into UAVs for the same role. (Source: Armada)
14 Mar 22. Turkish Baykar advances two drone efforts. Turkey’s drone powerhouse Baykar Makina is accelerating two advanced programs, including development of what the company brands as Turkey’s first unmanned fighter jet.
Selcuk Bayraktar, Baykar’s chief technical official, said in a tweet that production of the Bayraktar Kizilelma, the unmanned combat aerial vehicle, or unmanned fighter, has begun.
“The production phase has commenced 3.5 years after the project took off,” Bayraktar said.
The vertical take-off-and-landing, stealth Kizilelma features a 1,500 kg payload, an AESA radar, a turbofan engine and a maximum speed of 0.6 mach at an operational altitude of 35,000 feet.
Baykar said it hopes to inaugurate Kizilelma’s maiden flight in 2023.
Meanwhile, Baykar, maker of the TB2 armed drones, has said it is eying far eastern markets for its advanced TB3 drone in the making.
Haluk Bayraktar, Baykar’s chief executive, said several countries in China’s vicinity will be interested in buying the TB3 and said the TB3 will be particularly suitable for mini aircraft carriers like Japan’s Izumo. The Turkish Navy is planning to deploy 50 to 110 TB3s on the TCG Anadolu, Turkey’s first landing platform dock under construction.
The TB3 features a 280 kg payload and a maximum speed of 160 knots. (Source: Defense News)
11 Mar 22. QinetiQ to provide Banshee Jet 80+ target UAVs to Japan. QinetiQ will provide unmanned aerial target services to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) for anti-aircraft firing training.
The deal, announced by QinetiQ on 10 March, includes the delivery of an unspecified number of fixed-wing Banshee Jet 80+ target unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), logistics support, spare parts, and other consumables for the Banshee UAV.
The value and timeframe of the deal was not disclosed. However, QinetiQ said that the JGSDF will start operating the aerial targets from the northern summer of 2023 for anti-aircraft training.
The deal is the first time the company has sold target UAVs to Japan, although it has been providing unmanned target services to the country’s armed forces for more than 20 years, including the Barracuda unmanned surface vehicle – missile target for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, QinetiQ said. (Source: Janes)
14 Mar 22. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) successfully ferried the first of Japan’s three RQ-4B Global Hawks via a non-stop transpacific flight. The aircraft departed on Thursday, March 10, from Palmdale, California landing 18.7 hours later on March 12 at Misawa Air Base, Misawa, Japan.
“The arrival of the first Japan Global Hawk is an important milestone in the development of this critical security asset,” said Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager, global surveillance, Northrop Grumman. “The autonomous Global Hawk will provide the Japan Air Self-Defense Force with persistent, high-altitude surveillance of the Indo-Pacific. Global Hawk’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities will provide invaluable support to Japanese national security and to the security of allies across the region.”
RQ-4B Global Hawk, a large high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), is equipped with mission-specific sensors to meet critical ISR needs. This capability will change the way allies monitor threats and provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response day or night. Combined with other Japanese intelligence assets, the advanced UAV will provide solutions to monitor and deter regional threats, contributing to Japan’s national security well into the future.
Northrop Grumman’s family of autonomous HALE systems, including Global Hawk, are critical components of networked, global ISR collection for allied nations around the world. The ISR data enables decision makers to act in a timely manner, deterring aggression and responding to emerging threats. Japan, with its Global Hawk fleet, will be part of a growing list of allied nations operating HALE UAVs. The United States, Australia, NATO and Korea will all be operating versions of this vital national security asset.
Northrop Grumman is a technology company, focused on global security and human discovery. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with capabilities they need to connect, advance and protect the U.S. and its allies. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 90,000 employees define possible every day.
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The British Robotics Seed Fund is the first SEIS-qualifying investment fund specialising in UK-based robotics businesses. The focus of the fund is to deliver superior returns to investors by making targeted investments in a mixed basket of the most innovative and disruptive businesses that are exploiting the new generation of robotics technologies in defence and other sector applications.
Automation and robotisation are beginning to drive significant productivity improvements in the global economy heralding a new industrial revolution. The fund allows investors to benefit from this exciting opportunity, whilst also delivering the extremely attractive tax reliefs offered by the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). For many private investors, the amount of specialist knowledge required to assess investments in robotics is not practical and hence investing through a fund structure makes good sense.
The fund appoints expert mentors to work with each investee company to further maximise the chance of success for investors. Further details are available on request.
www.britbots.com/fund
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