ideaForge newest UAV in the market ZOLT now comes armed with smart guided munition developed by Zeus Numerix.ZOLT has an endurance of 6 hours with 10 kg max payload and a range of over 50km.
Range limited by LoS.
ideaForge newest UAV in the market ZOLT now comes armed with smart guided munition developed by Zeus Numerix.ZOLT has an endurance of 6 hours with 10 kg max payload and a range of over 50km.
Range limited by LoS.
ABHYAS Drone Brochure from Vigyan Vaibhav 2025 (Originally from Defence Expo 2022)
ABHYAS HIGH SPEED EXPENDABLE AERIAL TARGET
ABHYAS is an indigenously developed cost effective High Speed Expendable Target. It is designed to meet the tri-services requirements of artillery practice, Air-to-Air combat and battleship target practice. This has indigenously developed flight control computer, navigation system & user friendly ground control system. It requires minimum logistics for its operation. It is launched with rocket motors from a Zero length launcher and the flight is sustained with a small gas turbine engine. It is fully pre programmable and can fly with way point navigation. It has capability of autonomous flying from 20 m to 5 km altitude.
FEATURES
• Power Plant : Small Gas Turbine Engine
• Altitude : 5000 m
• Endurance : 30 min
• Turning : 2 g
• Max Speed : 0.5M
• Flight Controls : Programmed WPN, Alt Hold, Heading Hold
• Augmentation : RCS, Visual, IR
• Miss Distance Indicator : AMDI
• Length : 2440 mm
• Diameter : 180 mm
• Max AUW : 75 Kg
ABHYAS HIGH SPEED EXPENDABLE AERIAL TARGET
ABHYAS is an indigenously developed cost effective High Speed Expendable Target. It is designed to meet the tri-services requirements of artillery practice, Air-to-Air combat and battleship target practice. This has indigenously developed flight control computer, navigation system & user friendly ground control system. It requires minimum logistics for its operation. It is launched with rocket motors from a Zero length launcher and the flight is sustained with a small gas turbine engine. It is fully pre programmable and can fly with way point navigation. It has capability of autonomous flying from 20 m to 5 km altitude.
FEATURES
• Power Plant : Small Gas Turbine Engine
• Altitude : 5000 m
• Endurance : 30 min
• Turning : 2 g
• Max Speed : 0.5M
• Flight Controls : Programmed WPN, Alt Hold, Heading Hold
• Augmentation : RCS, Visual, IR
• Miss Distance Indicator : AMDI
• Length : 2440 mm
• Diameter : 180 mm
• Max AUW : 75 Kg
They need to focus especially on making this thing survivable in GNSS denied, heavy spoofing prevalent environments. Many companies in the US are trying visual based navigation, but of course this has its limitations like in desert environments.
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When you already have off the shelf technology, why it taking them 3yrs for completing the project, also at time when there are similar drones already available with better specs out there
How does it matter that there are similar specs tech is out there?. We have meteor, does it make the development of Astra Mk3 easier?
A development cycle always lasts a minimum of 3 to 4 years.
3-4 years is standard minimum regardless of weapon system being developed.
From concept phase to design phase to prototyping, internal testing, user validation testing, certification.
If we are developing lets say a new combat knife for soldier expect it to take this minimum time.
Any product that is developed from scratch (even if there are other comparable products present in the market) will undergo these stages. Hence, the timelines in years. These can be shrunk only if there are resources, will, and financing present (amongst a host of other factors). The first two stages each contain sub-stages and can be taxing.
Even developing food takes years.
This is the taco bell that is made in minutes after a customer orders it.
The issue is that the majority of Indian engineers come from a software development point of view. The cycle is way faster in that industry.
Meteor is not our tech, nor do we produce it, also Astra mk3 has more range than the meteor,
Whereas there's Sheshnag 150 already exists, comes with satcom & AI features, which can do ISR, EW & strike roles, greater range,
Also we already have companies who manufacturers Good quality EO products, we already have wankle engines, and the carbon fibres,
You always don't need to reinvent the tech which already exists in house,
Nor does it have unique designs,
When this drone comes into production & induction, new tech would already will arrive & requirement will change, thus never ending process, nor it's a high tech drone which offers unique technology
So that you have to start from the ground, the tech & design are already proven, a better version are already out there,
It doesn't has to be a 3yr Long process, or instead of going wankle engines change it to a jet powered engine & make it in into a VLO platform, add AI features & ECCM
There is a field that is called PLM (Product Lifecycle Management). This chart comes from there. Folks interested can read more about it. The initial stages of development are time and resource consuming. You can take a weapon system that was retired and start tracing its stages. This generic data will allow you to develop a better understanding. Timelines are flexible and can change depending on a host of factors. However, 3-4 years is a good ballpark for now. Induction and growth phases can be dealt with separately. Weapon system development of a similar nature are a good place to start.