Important Facts For Prelims
ABHYAS: High-speed Expendable Aerial Target
- 30 Jun 2022
- 3 min read
Why in News?
Recently, 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.
What are the Key Points of 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.
- Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), of DRDO.
- Features:
- 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.
- Utility:
- 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.
- It will be used as a target for the evaluation of various missile systems.
What are the Other Recent Developments?
- In September 2021, the DRDO tested a new version of the Akash Missile – ‘Akash Prime’ – from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha.
- In July 2021, DRDO launched the Akash-NG (New Generation) and the Man Portable Anti Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM).
- In June 2021 a new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile Agni-P (Prime) was successfully test-fired by the DRDO.
- In February 2021 India also successfully test-fired indigenously-developed anti-tank guided missile systems ‘Helina’ and ‘Dhruvastra’.
- In October 2020, the DRDO conducted a successful flight test of the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha.
