Interview Times India on Friday successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously-designed Abhyas – 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 Chandipur off the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
During the trial, the target was flown from a ground-based controller in a pre-designated flight path at subsonic speed, the DRDO said in a statement. The vehicle can be used as an aerial target for the evaluation of various missile systems.
During the test flight, low altitude flight capabilities with a radio altimeter in the loop were demonstrated. The IR flares were ignited from the ground station during the test flight. The performance of the target aircraft was monitored through telemetry and various tracking sensors including Radars and Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS), the DRDO said.
Abhyas is designed and developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru. The air vehicle is launched using twin under-slung boosters which provide the initial acceleration to the vehicle. It is powered by a gas turbine engine to sustain a long endurance flight at subsonic speed. The target aircraft is equipped with a MEMS-based Inertial Navigation System (INS) for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control.
The current flight test is carried out as a part of developmental flight trials. Expression of interest for the production of the vehicle has already been floated to Indian industries. This indigenous target aircraft, once developed, will meet the requirements of High-speed Expandable Aerial Targets (HEAT) for the Indian Armed Forces.
