Nishant

The DRDO Nishant is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by India's Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a branch of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), for the Indian Armed Forces. The project began in September 1988 to meet the Indian Army's requirement for a remotely piloted vehicle, with the General Staff Qualitative Requirement finalized in May 1990. The Nishant made its first test flight in 1995 and completed its 100th flight by June 2002. By 2007, the Indian Army ordered 12 Nishant UAVs and ground support systems. After initial flights using an imported ALVIS AR-801 engine, a 55 hp indigenous Wankel rotary engine developed by NAL, VRDE, and ADE was flight-tested in April 2009. The Indian Army received the first four production UAVs by 2011 at a cost of ₹800 million. However, after all four delivered aircraft crashed, the ₹90 crore program was canceled, terminating the planned second phase of eight additional UAVs.

Design

The Nishant is a 350–380 kg UAV with a length of 4.6 meters and a wingspan of 6.5 meters. It is powered by a 55 hp engine driving a two-bladed fixed-pitch pusher propeller, reaching a maximum speed of 216 km/h, a range of 100 km, and a service ceiling of 3,962 meters. The aircraft has an endurance of 4 hours and 30 minutes. Instead of requiring a runway, the Nishant is launched at a velocity of 45 m/s in 0.6 seconds using a truck-mounted Mobile Hydro-Pneumatic Launcher (MHPL) and is recovered via a parachute and landing bag system. Its 45 kg payload capacity accommodates electro-optical, infrared, or laser sensors, including an integral laser target designator for target tracking, localization, and artillery fire correction. Ground support systems include a ground control station, antenna vehicle, avionics preparation vehicle, mechanical maintenance vehicle, UAV transportation vehicle, and power supply vehicle.

Operational History

The Indian Army first deployed the Nishant in July 1999 for reconnaissance and surveillance during operations in the Kashmir Valley. Following confirmatory trials at Pokhran, the army formally inducted the system. During user trials in April 2010, two units crash-landed near Jaisalmer due to technical issues and wind changes. In April 2015, two more units crashed near Jaisalmer, followed by the loss of the remaining two units in November 2015 at Pokhran, which led to the termination of the operational fleet.

Variants

• Panchi: A wheeled version of the Nishant capable of conventional takeoff and landing from semi-prepared runways to reduce turnaround times.