Nishant

Nishant from India, produced by Defence Research & Development Organisation

Introduce:

An Indian UAV developed by DRDO for army operations, primarily for surveillance.The Nishant is an unarmed UAV intended for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition and artillery support while also considered for a variety of other battlefield roles. The aircraft saw its first flight in 1995, cleared requisite Indian Army testing and has entered limited productionas of this writing (October 2013). The Nishant was born in an Indian Army requirement originating in 1988.

The Nishant makes use of a conventional aircraft arrangement and follows well-accepted UAV design form – particularly for low-altitude operations requiring extended loitering times and stability for its onboard optics payload. It features a central nacelle making up its fuselage which contains avionics and payload as well as powerplant and fuel stores. Wings are straight appendages mounted high atop the fuselage. The tail consists of a twin-boom structure joined at the rear by a single horizontal plane; outboard of this plane are vertical tail fins. There is no fixed undercarriage as the Nishant is launched via catapult system and recovered by way of a parachute and landing cushions to retard the fall. In this fashion, the Nichant’s operation is somewhat less complex as is her overall production. Optics are held in a positional blister assembly located along the belly. A conventional engine installation drives a two-bladed propeller in a “pusher” arrangement at the rear of the aircraft. The Nishant weighs in at 400lbs and can carry a payload of 100 pounds. Dimensionally, the vehicle is given a length of 15 feet and a wingspan of 21.5 feet. Its design provides the airframe with a maximum speed of 115 miles per hour and cruising speeds nearing 80 miles per hour. Operational range is listed at 100 miles with a service ceiling under 12,000 feet.

The Nishant is launched from a hydropneumatic rail system seated on the bed of a Tatra series 8×8 military truck. The truck serves in other militarized forms (including rocket projector platform) and is a proven battlefield component, providing the Nishant with essentially all-terrain accessibility. Couple this to the aircraft’s 4.5 hour mission endurance window and the system becomes a valuable tactical asset to Indian Army operations. The complete Nishant package includes a Ground Control Station (GCS), specially trained operators and applicable carriers of equipment to ensure proper operation of the UAV.