Indian Navy's Adani-Made Drishti 10 Drone Undertakes Maiden Flight in Boost to Maritime Surveillance

Mumbai: The Indian Navy's indigenous Remotely Piloted Aircraft, the Drishti 10 Drone, manufactured by Adani Defence, undertook its maiden flight following its induction into the Navy. In its official statement following the flight, the Navy stated that the drone, following its induction, will further boost the Navy’s maritime surveillance capabilities.

Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, had previously flagged off the very first made-in-India Drishti 10 'Starliner' Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone designed and developed for the Navy in a ceremony in Hyderabad last month. According to reports, both the Army and Navy have inducted two of these drones each.

During the flag-off ceremony, the Navy Chief also said, “This is a momentous occasion and a transformative step in India's quest for self-reliance in ISR technology and maritime supremacy.”

About Adani-made Drishti 10 in 8 Key Points 

• The Drishti 10 'Starliner' is an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform. 
• The MALE drone can fly for a relatively long period of about 36 hours. 
• Along with its endurance, the drone has the capability to carry a payload of up to 450 kilograms, as per reports.
• This particular drone is via a joint venture with Israeli Defence firm Elbit Systems and draws inspiration from its Hermes 900.
• Although its maximum ceiling height or detailed specifications have not been revealed, surmises believe it might have a ceiling height of about 30,000 ft. 
• Further specifications reveal that the UAV has a length of 8.3m, a wingspan of 15 metres. 
• It also features a 2.5m-long internal payload bay and external wing hardpoints, supporting customisations to meet the different requirements of the users.
• Moreover, it's the only military aircraft certified to fly in all weather conditions and in different airspaces. As reports state, this drone has been certified for both contested and uncontested airspaces.