22-09-2024
06:30 PM
Prelims: General Science
Mains: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are aircraft that operate without onboard crew or passengers. They can function as automated 'drones' or be controlled remotely as piloted vehicles (RPVs). Originally developed for military reconnaissance and combat operations since World War 1, the rapid technological advances have enabled the evolution of drones towards diverse civilian and commercial applications. Drones are now providing innovative solutions for sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, transportation and disaster response. India too aims to become a drone superpower, making and using drones for social and economic development.
Depending on the specific application or problem at hand, different types of drones can be utilised.
Types (based on rotors) | |
Multirotor UAVs | - Ideal for tasks like crop inspection - Have more than two rotors - Allow efficient lift generation by adjusting rotor speeds |
Single-rotor UAVs | - They resemble helicopters in both design and structure. - Have a longer flight time and can hover in place for aerial imaging and precision spraying. - They are usually powered by gas engines. |
Fixed-wing UAVs | - They are like normal aircraft and do not require as much energy to stay in the air because they cannot hover in one place. - Fly for longer periods and capture images across a large area of the field |
Fixed-wing Multirotor Hybrid UAVs | - They are a hybridisation of fixed-wing and multirotor UAVs. - Ability to not only perform the vertical takeoff and land but also to perform - It has a longer flight time and can stay in the air much longer. |
Flexible Membrane Wing UAVs | - These can perform the targeted flight in severe and windy conditions. - These UAVs are made up of flexible membrane wings. - They can carry a larger load, easy storage capacity, better control, and manoeuvrability. |
Types (based on altitude) | |
Low Altitude Deep Penetration (LADP) | - Altitude: 0.5–1 km - Endurance: Can fly for approximately 4 minutes and 10 seconds. - Purpose: Suitable for missions requiring low-altitude, long-range, and high-speed penetration. - Examples: UAV Model X1, UAV Model Y2 |
Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAVs | - Altitude: 3 km–9 km - Endurance: Can fly for more than 24 hours. - Purpose: Primarily used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions. - Examples: Predator, MQ-9 Reaper. |
High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) UAVs | - Altitude: Above 15-20 Kms. - Endurance: Can fly for more than 24 hours continuously. - Purpose: Primarily used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and communication tasks for long-duration missions. - Examples: Global Hawk, RQ-4 Global Hawk. |
Types (based on Size) | |
Micro and Nano UAVs | - Range: Less than 10 Km, low altitude and for less time (< 1 hour) - Weight: nano (up to 250 g), micro (250 g to 2 kg) - Purpose: Intelligence gathering, but less as military drones (due to lack of AI and machine learning ability), in the fleet of swarm drones (very dangerous as there are currently no effective countermeasures), etc. - Examples: AeroVironment Nano Hummingbird, DelFly MAV, etc. |
Small UAVs | - Size: Between 2 to 4 metres in length - Weight: Typically between 25 to 150 kg - Purpose: Versatile for various applications including aerial photography, mapping, and monitoring. - Examples: DJI Phantom series, SenseFly eBee. |
Medium UAVs
| - Size: Between 4 to 6 metres in length - Weight: Ranges from 150 to 600 kg - Purpose: Capable of carrying heavier payloads for longer endurance missions. - Examples: General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, Elbit Hermes 900. |
Large UAVs | - Size: More than 6 metres in length - Weight: Exceeding 600 kg - Purpose: Designed for long-endurance missions with heavy payloads such as military surveillance or cargo transport. - Examples: Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. |
Drones nowadays have applications for both military and civil purposes. Some of these applications are described below.
Military drones can change the nature of warfare, making it more economical, precise, and efficient. This was observed in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. They can perform tasks such as:
UAVs are also used for non-military purposes, such as:
As an emerging technology, drones bring forth a series of growing challenges that demand holistic solutions.
India’s journey with UAVs began with the acquisition of the Israeli Searcher Mark 1 in 1998. Most of the UAVs of the Indian armed forces are procured from Israel and the USA. The drone market in India reached ₹29 billion ($370 million) in 2020 and is estimated to grow to ₹1.5 trillion ($19 billion) by 2026.
India aims to become a drone superpower by 2030, with a focus on indigenous development and manufacturing. The Indian government has launched several initiatives in this direction.
India has made significant progress in developing indigenous drones. Here are some examples:
Product/Location | Role |
DRDO Abhyas (ADE, Bengaluru) | - A cost-effective supersonic missile demonstrator developed by DRDO for training purposes. |
DRDO Ghatak (ADE, Bengaluru) | - A lightweight missile designed to target and destroy enemy tanks. - It is also called SWiFT. |
HAL CATS (HAL and Newspace R&D) | - A cooperative flight testbed developed by HAL and Newspace R&D for demonstrating avionics technology. |
Rustom-1 and 2 (ADE, Bengaluru) | - An indigenously developed UCAV for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. |
TAPAS-BH-201(ADE, Bengaluru) | - A multi-role light combat helicopter for various military operations. |
DRDO Imperial Eagle (DRDO’s ADE and CSIR’s National Aerospace Laboratory) | - An advanced trainer jet for training pilots. |
DRDO Lakshya (ADE, Bengaluru) | - A subsonic cruise missile for long-range strikes. |
DRDO Netra (R&DE and IdeaForge) | - An AEW&CS for surveillance, tracking, identification and classification of airborne and sea surface targets. |
DRDO Nishant (ADE, Bengaluru) | - A tactical UAV for surveillance and reconnaissance operations. |
NAL/ADE Golden Hawk (DRDO’s ADE and CSIR’s NAL) | - A basic trainer aircraft for training pilots. |
NAL/ADE Pushpak (DRDO’s ADE and CSIR’s NAL) | - A utility transport aircraft for various transport operations. |
Question 1: Who/What are the following and why have they been in the news recently? - ‘Predator’ drones (UPSC 2010)
Q1. What is drone and UAV technology?
Ans. A UAV, commonly known as a drone, unpiloted aerial vehicle, or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), has its flight controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle.
Q2. What technology is used in drones?
Ans. While gyroscopes and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities make it easier to remotely control drones, GPS and LiDAR technology in stil drones with a strong sense of direction.
Q3. What is the main purpose of UAVs?
Ans. UAVs were originally used for military purposes but now they are also used for observation and tactical planning. This technology is now available for use in the emergency response field to assist the crew members.
Q4. What is the principle of drones?
Ans. The propeller converts the motion into lifting power. Because of the special shape of the blades, the air pressure is uneven on two sides while they are in motion, which creates lifting power. The principle can be easily modelled by Newton's third motion law and Bernoulli's principle.
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