A new Indian Wheeled UAV

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India’s new ‘Panchi’ (Urdu for ’Bird’) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be showcased at Aero India 2015.

The DRDO (Indian Defense Research Development Organization) unveiled its latest in-service surveillance drone. Panchi will be showcased in the upcoming Aero India Airshow.

Nishant, the current operational UAV serving in the Indian army, is an indigenous-developed un-wheeled version. It is launched from a pneumatic rail launcher and uses a parachute drop system, housed in an airbag under its belly, for recovery.

Panchi has all the surveillance capabilities of Nishant, but it can stay in the air longer because it does not have to carry the airbag and the parachute systems of the other. It is also a light vehicle: its body made of composite materials. It also features a high degree of stealth capability because it has a low radar cross-section signature.

With the expansion of airfield infrastructure, the Indian Armed Forces, as well as various agencies operating under the Home Ministry, have expressed the need for autonomous wheeled drones, SPS Aviation recently reported.

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According to Defense World Net, India’s DRDO has been commissioned by the Indian Army and Air Force to build better surveillance payloads for the Nishant/Panchi and to concentrate on longer endurance versions of the vehicle in an Mk.2 configuration.

India’s Army and Air Force feel that the rail launcher is convenient in terms of recovery but presents large logistical footprint for rapid operations, especially when airfield infrastructure is available.

The Indian Air Force is also waiting for the first flight of the Rustom 2 medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV that the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) had promised will take place this year.

While the February deadline is likely to be missed, it could happen any time after June. The ADE and NAL (National Aerospace Laboratories) also expected to announce progress on their respective mini and micro drone programs that include possible contracts with police services and agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs that have evinced interest in tactical systems.