On June 29th, High Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) was demonstrated in low altitude flight. The target aircraft was flown from a ground based controller in a pre-designated flight path which was monitored by various sensors including radar and an electro-optical targeting system. High speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) was successfully flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
ABHYAS is designed & developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The air vehicle was launched using twin under-slung boosters which provide the initial acceleration to the vehicle. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine to sustain a long endurance flight at high subsonic speed. The target aircraft is equipped with Micro-Electromechanical Systems-based Inertial Navigation System for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer for guidance and control along with Indigenous Radio Altimeter for very low altitude flight and Data Link for encrypted communication between the Ground Control Station and Target Aircraft. The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, armed forces and industry for successfully developing the ABHYAS system, which will meet the requirements of aerial targets for the armed forces.
The Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, Dr G Satheesh Reddy recognised the efforts of the teams associated in the design, development and testing of the system.
