The Indian Army Has Leased Four Heron TP Medium
Feb 17, 2021
The Indian Army has leased four Heron TP Medium Altitude UAVs from Israel. These drones have been leased by the Army under the Emergency Procurement Procedure Program. The information about leasing the drone is coming at a time when the disengagement process has been started by the Chinese Army on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Heron’s lease is the second most important contract under the Defense Procurement Procedure (DAC). Earlier, under the same rules for the Indian Navy, Sea Guardian UAVs were purchased from the US.
$ 200 million three-year lease
According to defense sources, the Heron UAV was signed on 15 February in the middle of January. The contract is said to be worth about $ 200 million and is for three years. If needed, it can be extended for two more years.
In June 2020, on behalf of the government, the heads of the three armies were equipped with ‘Emergency Powers’ so that the needs of the forces could be met quickly. In the midst of the situation on the LAC, the Ministry of Defense has prepared a list of goods which will be purchased for the forces in the year 2021.
Will upgrade heron
This year, the Ministry of Defense is preparing to equip the army with C-295 transport aircraft to Tejas MK 1-A. The purchase of an upgraded version of the Heron drone with Israel is in its final stages. It is expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2021.
In September, in the midst of ongoing tension in eastern Ladakh from China, India requested to upgrade the Israeli-made Heron drone. After the ongoing confrontation with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China, the attention of the Indian forces now came to the drone they had.
If sources are to be believed, India has no match to the drone technology and surveillance drone capability that China currently has. India requested Israel last year to upgrade the drones with Heron Medium range.
The forces are currently using Heron. In order to increase its surveillance capacity, India has asked to upgrade the communication links.
Importance of Upgrade
At the present time it is a bit difficult to link the heron drone to the satellite. During the upgrade, the Heron will be fitted with the satellite package. So that the drone can communicate with the satellite and send the information on a real time basis. After this upgrade, Heron will be able to perform surveillance without any interruption or fear of losing contact.
The Heron upgrade program has been approved by the Ministry of Defense last year. Drones and anti-drone systems are being prepared for the Army from the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the private sector on behalf of India. The three forces came to the conclusion that India should adopt a drone that is fully armed.
Effective even at a height of 30,000 feet
The Heron drone has been prepared by Israel’s Aerospace Industries (IAI). This drone can be fitted with weapons that can easily destroy the target on the ground. If it is launched from Delhi, then within 30 minutes one can detect enemies on the border.
Its sensors are so fast that even from a height of 30,000 feet, it can easily get information about enemies. In February 2015, Israel demonstrated the Heron TP drone for the first time at the Aero-India show in Bangalore.
On 11 September 2015, the Ministry of Defense approved the purchase of 10 heron drones for $ 400 million. When India became a member of MTCR in the year 2016, the way of purchase of this drone was also opened.
Courtesy: The IndiaPrint.com