East Tech 2022: Hawking Defence offers solutions to Indian Armed Forces

The Balidan UAV, on display at East Tech 2022, is designed for carrying a small amount of explosives. (Janes/Amit Kalra)

Chennai-based firm Hawking Defence showcased a number of solutions for the Indian Armed Forces at East Tech 2022, an event held in Kolkata by the Indian Army's Eastern Command on 7 and 8 July.

Captain (retd) Amber Singh Uban, company director, told Janes that Hawking Defence is offering the Indian military indigenous solutions including a series of hand-launched micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a wearable counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS), and a ‘Drone Flare System'.

Three micro UAVs were displayed by the company, each weighing around 400 g and characterised as being capable of swarming. Capt Uban said all three UAVs can be controlled by a single ground control system.

The Balidan micro UAV is designed as a loitering munition. The UAV can be utilised by an assault team to breach walls or mitigate rogue elements. The UAV has a foldable design and can be easily stowed in the gear of a dismounted soldier. The UAV has a Dash speed of 65 kt, Capt Uban said.

Once the Balidan UAV has breached the walls of a target structure, Hawking Defence's surveillance UAV can be launched for sanitising the enclosed space and relaying information about potential threats inside the structure, said Capt Uban. The UAV is capable of operating in a Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environment with an endurance of 20 minutes.

The company's long-range UAV features low audible signature and is capable of broadcasting real-time imagery up to 5 km.