L&T's rotary-wing VTOL UAV (pictured above) has been developed to conduct surveillance and logistics operations. (Janes/Oishee Majumdar)
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Defence has developed a rotary-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can support the Indian Armed Forces in surveillance and logistics operations.
Discussions are under way for the UAV to be tested by the Indian Armed Forces in the coming months, a source familiar with the matter told Janes at Defexpo 2022 being held at Gandhinagar from 18 to 22 October.
L&T has been collaborating with an undisclosed foreign company for developing the UAV.
Janes understands that this foreign partner could be Swedish aerospace company, CybAero. Janes analysis of the airframe design and specifications indicates that L&T's rotary-wing UAV is likely based on CybAero's ‘APID One' UAV.
The source said that L&T has been collaborating with the foreign partner since a year.
According to specifications provided by L&T, the rotary-wing UAV has a range of 100 km, an endurance of 4 hours, a maximum speed of 120 km/h, a payload capacity of 40 kg, and an operating altitude of 3,000 m.
L&T is also developing an advanced version of the rotary-wing UAV, keeping in mind the needs of the Indian Army, the source said.
The development of this advanced version is expected to be completed in the next two years, the source added.
The advanced version of the rotary-wing UAV will have an operating altitude of 5,500 m, an endurance of 6 hours, a maximum speed of 140 km/h, and a payload capacity of more than 40 kg, the company said.
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