FLYING WING TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR

  • Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) carried out the maiden test flight of a new unmanned Aerial Vehicle, an Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator.
  • DRDO is in the process of developing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of different classes to meet the requirements of the armed forces.
  • It’s an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) or a combat drone that is a flying wing type.
  • It refers to a tailless fixed-wing aircraft that houses its payload and fuel in its main wings and does not have a defined fuselage-like structure found in conventional aircraft.
  • The design has the potential to deliver high fuel efficiency and stability if executed with precision.

Applications:

  1. Mapping of Landslide Affected Area
  2. Infested Crop Damage Assessment
  3. Large Scale Mapping
  4. Traffic Monitoring and Management
  5. Logistics support

Specifications

  • The Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator is a precursor to an autonomous stealthy UCAV which is being developed by the DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), primarily for the Indian Air Force.
  • ADE is a key Aeronautical Systems Design Laboratory under DRDO.
  • It is involved in the design and development of the state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Aeronautical Systems and technologies to meet the requirements of the Indian Armed forces.
  • The UCAV will be capable of launching missiles and precision-guided munitions.
  • The vehicle is powered by a small turbofan engine.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT

About ChinmayaIAS Academy - Current Affairs

Check Also

What to do with spent nuclear fuel?

Syllabus:  Alternate fuel Context: Japan has started releasing treated radioactive water from the beleaguered Fukushima …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Free Updates to Crack the Exam!
Subscribe to our Newsletter for free daily updates