Bangalore, July 06: Indigenous pilotless target aircraft Lakshya is being upgraded for surveillance applications, scientific advisor to the defence minister Dr V K Aatre said here. "Lakshya is being converted into surveillance aircraft," he said in his lecture on "evolving battlefields and role of technology" organised by Bangalore science forum last night.

Aeronautical Develoment Agency (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation outfit, conducted the first trials of the digital reusable aerial target vehicle at the interim test range at Chandipur-on-Sea in April this year. ADE officials said the trials of a digital Lakshya with a camera on board, which would be used for reconnaissance purposes, were successful. Presently, analog version of the PTA is in services with the IAF and navy, and a limited series order is under production for the army. With the digital system fitted on Lakshya, the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly and carry out its task without the intervention of a pilot on ground. The onboard programme computer would enable not only to be a target vehicle, but also send signals for faster recovery.

Aatre said the future of warfare would have unmanned aerial vehicles as one of the mainstay, including for battlefield surveillance, real time target engagement and assessing battlefield damage, among others. Though India was not equipped with unmanned underwater vehicles, the DRDO director general said the technology existed and in couple of decades from now, unmanned ground vehicles would be reality. Aatre said future unmanned combat air vehicles could be used for "kamikaze" attacks against enemies.

Bureau Report