An indigenously developed Combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (CUAV) was successfully tested in Mumbai earlier this month by drone start-up Jatayu Unmanned Systems. The text was conducted earlier this month in collaboration with the law-enforcement agencies in Mumbai. During the test a standard issue assault rifle weapon was live-fired on a UAV platform.
Titled Jatayu Aim-X, the UAV was showcased and launched at the Bharat Drone Mahotsav held in New Delhi on May 27 and 28 earlier this year. The company has been building drones for defence applications since 2015 and calls its UCAV, India’s First Combat-Ready UAV.
Jatayu's Combat Drone is indigenously designed and developed using modern precision manufacturing techniques. The drone has an independent ground control station and can be controlled remotely via satellite communication as well.
Capt. Aman Johri, CEO of Jatayu Unmanned Systems, said, “Our Jatayu Aim-X is a fully Make in India UAV platform built specifically for the Indian scenario. It’s been under development since 2016 and we’ve previously live-fired it successfully under trials with the Indian armed forces, obtaining an accuracy of 93% on target.
India needs to be prepared for the threats of the future and we hope our UAV platform will help save critical lives on the frontlines. In the coming weeks, we’re due to test our platform with various other units of the Indian Army, as well. Team Jatayu is excited to see what the future holds for UCAVs.”
Meanwhile, according to the civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, India has the potential to become a global drone hub by 2030. India will need 100,000 drone pilots in the coming years to achieve this milestone. The government will encourage the rate of drone adoption among different sectors by partnering with the industry’s stakeholders.
