Successful flight-tests of Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target conducted

Successful flight-tests of Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target conducted

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Defence

In news

• Recently, successful flight-tests of the indigenously-designed Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) in Balasore (Odisha) were conducted.
• Conducted by: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) 
• Designed and developed by: Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO

Key takeaways

• Two demonstrator vehicles of Abhyas cleared all the evaluation parameters like 5 km flying altitude, vehicle speed of 0.5 mach (half the speed of sound), endurance of 30 minutes etc.

Important value additions

Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT)

• It is a drone (UAV) that will be used as a target for various missile systems.
• It is powered by a small gas turbine engine.
• Navigation by: Micro-electromechanical (MEMS) systems based Inertial Navigation System (INS).
• It is lightweight and reliable, consumes less power and is cost-effective.
• It is programmed for fully autonomous flight.

Do you know?

• MEMS is a process technology used to create tiny integrated devices or systems that combine mechanical and electrical components.