INDIAN AIR FORCE’S

PERSPECTIVE ON RPA

GROUP CAPTAIN G S CHAUHAN

INTRODUCTION

• INCREASING CONTRIBUTION OF RPA IN

MILITARY CAMPAIGNS.

• EVOLUTION FROM SURVEILLANCE

PLATFORM TO FULL - FLEDGED

WEAPON SYSTEM.

• WIDE RANGE OF MISSION CAPABILITIES.

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• BACKGROUND

• RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

• LIMITATIONS

• DESIRED CAPABILITIES

• IAF REQUIREMENTS

• FUTURE PLAN

• CONSTRAINTS

• CONCLUSION

SCOPE

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• RPA QUALITIES

– CAPACITY FOR SUSTAINED

SURVEILLANCE.

– PRECISION STRIKE CAPABILITY.

– MODEST COST.

– NO RISK TO HUMAN LIFE.

BACKGROUND

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• INTEGRATION OF A VAST ARRAY OF

SENSORS.

• MINIATURISATION OF SENSORS AND

WEAPONS PAYLOADS.

• HIGH BANDWIDTH DATA LINK NETWORKS.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• NEAR-AUTONOMOUS FLIGHT

CONTROL CAPABILITY RENDERED

POSSIBLE BY – MICROCHIP CAPABILITIES.

– IMPROVEMENTS IN FLIGHT CONTROL

SOFTWARE.

– IMPROVED HYBRID IN/ GPS SYSTEMS.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• RESTRICTED FIELD OF VIEW OF CAMERAS.

• LACK OF SELF PROTECTION CAPABILITY.

• RUNWAY DEPENDENCY.

• LIMITED MANEUVERABILITY.

LIMITATIONS

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• PLATFORMS WITH JET ENGINES.

• SATCOM DATA LINK BASED CONTROL.

• DIGITAL DATA LINK.

• COMBINED GROUND STATIONS.

• CONVENTIONAL COCKPIT CONTROLS FOR

TAKE OFF AND LANDING.

• WEAPONISATION.

DESIRED CAPABILITIES

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• STEALTHY /LOW RCS BY INNOVATIVE

DESIGNS AND USE OF COMPOSITE

MATERIALS.

• ADVANCES IN AIR PROPULSION -

INCREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY.

• USE OF HEAVY FUELS.

DESIRED CAPABILITIES

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• MULTI TARGET VIEWING CAPABILITY.

• STEP AND STARE CAMERAS WITH AUTO

MOSAICING CAPABILITY.

• AUTO TARGET RECOGNITION AND

CHANGE DETECTION.

• HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO QUALITY

• SAR WITH ELECTRONIC BEAM STEERING.

DESIRED CAPABILITIES

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• ELINT PAYLOADS WITH HIGHER GEO -

LOCATION ACCURACY.

• CAPABILITY OF INTERCEPTING MOBILE

AND SATELLITE PHONE

COMMUNICATIONS.

• IED DETECTION PAYLOADS.

• HYPERSPECTRAL PAYLOADS.

DESIRED CAPABILITIES

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• IAF REQUIREMENT CONCEIVED IN MID-80s.

• RECENT RPA CAMPAIGNS WORLD - WIDE

CONDUCTED UNDER AIR SUPREMACY.

• IAF CAMPAIGNS WOULD MEET

SIGNIFICANT AIR OPPOSITION.

• NEED FOR SELF PROTECTION SUITES.

• USE OF IFF AND TCAS FOR

AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.

IAF REQUIREMENTS

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

• DIFFICULT TERRAIN AND WEATHER

CONDITIONS.

– ANTI ICING / ICING PREVENTION METHODS.

– ADVERSE WEATHER OPERATIONS.

– AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS FOR LAUNCH AND

RECOVERY.

IAF REQUIREMENTS

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

FUTURE PLAN

• MIX OF HALE, MALE, UCAVS,

EXPENDABLE AND RECOVERABLE

DRONES AND MICRO-RPAS.

• DEVELOPMENT OF INDIGENOUS

CAPABILITY.

• INTEROPERABILITY AMONGST THE RPA

ASSETS WITHIN THE COUNTRY.

• CENTERS FOR INTELLIGENCE

GATHERING AND DISSEMINATION.

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

CONSTRAINTS

• MTCR.

• LIMITED VENDOR BASE.

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

CONCLUSION

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR

THANK YOU

Reference: AIR HQ/S 96104/ASR