New Delhi. Small-sized drones in the Indian defense sector are no longer limited to just surveillance. Startups associated with IIT Kanpur (EndureAir Systems) was developed 'Alakh' Micro/Nano UAV is also developing rapidly in this direction. It has been designed for operations like surveillance, intelligence gathering, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism. The company has also mentioned mission-specific strike capability in some of its configurations.
Can be operated even by carrying it in backpack
The specialty of Alakh is its small and compact design. Its micro FPV version can be rapidly deployed in areas where the use of larger drones is difficult. According to available information, it can be carried in a backpack and is designed to fly even in small open spaces.
It can be used for close-range surveillance, target observation and intelligence gathering in difficult areas. Apart from military operations, it has also been used in disaster relief and rescue operations. According to information related to IIT Kanpur, during the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, drones helped in inspecting the condition and cavity inside the tunnel.
Preparation to continue mission even if GPS jams
GPS jamming has become a major challenge in modern warfare. The enemy can disrupt navigation and communication systems in an area. In such a situation, the utility of UAVs working in GPS-denied environments increases.
According to EndureAir, Alakh Operation in GPS-denied conditions Has been developed for. Its new versions also focus on anti-jamming and enhancing the reliability of communications in challenging conditions.
However, different versions of Alakh may have different technical capabilities. Therefore, it would not be correct to consider the communication or range figures associated with any one model as the permanent capability of the entire Alakh platform.
Strike configuration beyond surveillance
The most important aspect in the development of Alakh is its multi-purpose capability. ALAKH 10-inch Platform Apart from ISR i.e. Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, the company has mentioned counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism missions.
Along with this, the capability of strike configuration as per the need of the mission has also been mentioned. That means the same small UAV platform can be configured as per the needs of different missions.
Live FPV will show the area in real time
in alakh Live FPV means First Person View Capacity is also important. Through this, the operator can view the live video feed from the drone's camera and assess the area situation in real time during the flight.
Capabilities like EO/IR sensors and live video streaming can help in day and night monitoring. Before sending soldiers to any suspicious building, tunnel or inaccessible area, the situation there can be assessed through UAV.
Work on swarm technology also
The next big change in drone warfare swarm technology Is being considered. In this, many UAVs can execute a mission together in coordination.
EndureAir has also informed about working towards connecting Alakh with Swarm application. Its objective is to achieve better coordination between multiple drones, monitor larger areas and control more UAVs with fewer operators.
Changing role from rescue operation to battlefield
The Alakh story also shows that small UAVs are no longer just military surveillance tools. While on one hand they can be used in disaster and rescue operations, on the other hand capabilities like GPS-denied environments, live monitoring and mission-specific configuration make them useful for security operations as well.
That is, the small size 'Alakh' is an example of the change in Indian drone technology, where efforts are being made to combine features like small size, rapid deployment, real time surveillance and autonomous/anti-jamming capability in a single platform.