Aero India 2023: Alpha-Elsec supplies Teevra Drushti surveillance system to Indian Army

The Teevra Drushti electro-optical/infrared system was displayed at Aero India 2023. (Janes/Kasthurica Panigrahy)

Indian firm Alpha-Elsec Defence & Aerospace Systems has supplied 60 Teevra Drushti long-range reconnaissance and observation systemsto the Indian Army, the company told Janes at the Aero India 2023 show, held in Bangalore from 13 to 17 February.

The Teevra Drushti electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system is deployed along India's borders for long-range reconnaissance and target acquisition operations, the company said. The system can be used on a tripod, in a stationary observation post, or in a reconnaissance vehicle.

As part of a modernisation programme by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for its Pechora surface-to-air III missile system, the Pechora's vintage Russian optical camera will be replaced by the Teevra Drushti system.

The legacy Pechora camera system has day-only capability. The upgraded system has a thermal and day camera, which increases image clarity and range.

The Teevra Drushti system “will be delivered to [the] Indian Air Force later this year”, an Alpha-Elsec source told Janes.

The Teevra Drushti system is a multifunctional day/night target acquisition system with an optional shortwave infrared (SWIR) channel, cooled high-definition (HD) midwave infrared (MWIR), and day charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The MWIR camera has a continuous zoom with 640×512 resolution. The system has a laser rangefinder ranging up to 10 km, and an integrated Digital Mapping System (DMS) and Global Positioning System (GPS).

“The variant used by the Indian defence forces combines a cooled MWIR channel and a day channel,” the Alpha-Elsec source said. The system also has video recording capability and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.