67 Israeli surveillance drones on the deal street

NEW DELHI: The Pegasus spyware controversy notwithstanding, an Israeli state-owned defence company is close to winning an Indian Ministry of Defence contract to supply 67 surveillance drones to the Army that will likely be deployed along the Indo-Pak border and parts of the Line of Control (LoC).

According to government sources, Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) may clinch the $3 billion deal despite stiff competition from a US-based company. Sources said the drones will have all-terrain capability and can fly above an altitude of 500 metres, making them suitable for operations along the Indo-Pak border.

The tender for the 67 rotary wing drones was floated in early April this year and closed on May 2. The Israeli drones are said to have cleared the aural signature, high temperature and damp tests. According to the terms of the contract, the drones will be manufactured in India. Rotary-winged drones operate like helicopters, giving them vertical take-off, landing and hovering capabilities.

The UAVs’ normal cruise speed is 10 metres per second. However, its most crucial feature is the surveillance day and night camera, which has an operational endurance of “not less than 45 minutes” and can take photographs and record video clips at temperatures ranging between -5 degrees and 55 degrees Celsius. Besides, they can transmit videos in real time.

The cameras' target detection slant range’ — the line of sight distance between the camera and the object — is a minimum of 2 km in day time and 1 km at night. Sources said that the IAI drones were found to be most effective along the Indo-Pak border, especially in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat.

Besides, they have “failsafe features” such as “return to home on communication failure” and when they are “low on battery”, global satellite system, and an autonomous flight terminal system. “An important feature of the cameras is that the recording mode can be turned off once an operation is over,” the sources said.

Positive track record
IAI participated in trials in strategic systems like the jointly-developed MRSAM air and missile system and provided support to Indian crews in Bangalore and Delhi in projects such as radars, air defence and more.