Indian Army to procure solar-powered surveillance UAV

NewSpace Research and Technologies' Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System UAV. (NRT)

Bangalore-based NewSpace Research and Technologies (NRT) has secured a contract worth INR1.68 billion (USD18.6 million) from the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply an undisclosed number of units of a surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the Indian Army, the company's CEO, Sameer Joshi, told Janes on 12 January.

Joshi said this is a fast-track procurement contract awarded to meet urgent operational requirements of forces. NRT will complete deliveries of the UAVs within 12 months, he added.

Under the contract, NRT will supply its solar-powered Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS) UAV that has been designed to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); electronic intelligence (ELINT); and communications relay operations, Joshi said.

MAPSS will be configured depending upon the operational requirements of the Indian Army, with wingspan likely to be below 10 m, endurance likely to be of multiple days, operating altitude of between 28,000 ft and 30,000 ft, and speed likely to be 100–120 km/h, he added. The UAV will be equipped with electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) cameras and other role-specific sensors, Joshi said.

The structure of MAPSS is similar to NRT's solar-powered high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) UAV. Like HAPS, MAPSS features an ogival pod accommodating the payload in the nose section; a T-tail; three landing gears (two on the wing and one on the tailboom); and two propulsion units, each driving twin-blade propellers in tractor configuration fitted to the inner wing section of the UAV. The entire upper surface of the UAV wing accommodates an array of solar cells.

In March 2024, Joshi told Janes