India’s indigenously designed and
developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
Nishant was successfully tested off
the coast of Kozhikode in Kerala and
the “wheel-less” manned by a pilot on
the ground navigated the 180 minute
flight.
Developed by the Aeronautical
Development Establishment (ADE), the
350-kilogram UAV was assembled on site
before being launched off a mobile
launcher. It flew at 1500 feet off the
ground and took pictures using a 35mm
camera. Three ships including fast
patrol vessels took part in the
exercise.
The Coast Guard has expressed strong
interest in procuring the UAV for its
strong reconnaissance capabilities and
a significantly lower cost.
