India and the US have moved ahead to jointly develop air launched unmanned aerial vehicles that will be used for surveillance missions, with first flight of the prototype likely to take place by the end of this year.
The Air Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) program is taking place under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) and a critical factor is that the intellectual property (IP) rights for the new system will be jointly shared by the two sides.
Sources said that the operational and technical requirements for the air launched system have been finalised and the project agreement is under the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Indian Air Force, and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The air launched drones are likely to be tested from C 130J aircraft in service with the air force, with first trials set to take place before the end of 2023. The aircraft has been used in the past by US forces to deploy air launched UAV systems like the Gremlin Air Vehicles that can both be launched and recovered mid-air.
It is learnt that final discussions to freeze the technical parameters took place at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, with the US Co-Chair of the joint working group, Brig Gen Joel W Safranek overseeing discussions with an Indian Air Force representative. Indian start-up company NewSpace Research and Technologies, which is already working on swarm drone technology for Indian forces was also part of the meetings.
This is the first UAV project under which common IP rights will be generated, giving the Indian ecosystem a significant technology boost. Besides this, two more projects for counter drone systems and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform are being finalised under the DTTI.
Senior US government officials had told ET last year that the two countries are moving ahead to a new phase of defence cooperation and hurdles of the past when it came to transfer of technology and bureaucratic red tape are being addressed.
