DRDO to showcase new unmanned combat air vehicle at Aero India

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will showcase many of its latest technologies and developments at the Aero India 2015 scheduled to take place at the Yelahanka Air Force Station here from February 18 to 22.

Some of the attractions will be real displays of LCA (Light Combat Aircrafts) and Rustom, the Long Endurance Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV). On static display will be the DRDO flying test bed and the air force and naval variants of LCA with armaments like missiles and bombs.

The Indian LCA would take part in the formation flight display followed by CABS (Centre for Airborne System) and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircrafts at the aerospace show.

The indoor exhibits will include combat aircraft technologies, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), missile technology, aircraft avionics and EW (Electronic Warfare) system, sensor technology and propulsion system, materials, surveillance systems, radar systems and simulator technology.

Three major simulators — Sukhoi 30, LCA MK2, LCA Tejas (not for the general public) from DRDO-ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) — will also be there at the exhibition. As many as 21 DRDO labs will take part in the show.
 As a prelude to the show, an Aero India International Seminar on ‘Aerospace 2020’ will be held on February 16 and 17. The seminar, to be organised by the DRDO in association with the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), will be held at the Nimhans Convention Centre on Hosur Road here.

Current trend

Dr S Christopher, director, CABS, DRDO, told reporters here on Wednesday: “To suit the current trend, we thought we should cover aerospace too. There are several subthemes that have been proposed. We have received as many as 100 papers, and after scrutiny, we could accommodate only 75 papers. There will be participants from eight countries, including Spain, the US, Germany, the UK, Israel, France and Russia.”

The topics of presentation would be avionics and flight control, systems engineering for the evolving scenarios, propulsion for future vehicles, etc. Delegates from many academic institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), IIT-Bombay, will also attend the seminar.
 deccanherald