DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of Indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas from Integrated
Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast, Odisha. During the flight trial, High subsonic speed trajectory at a very low altitude with high endurance was demonstrated. Two boosters provided initial acceleration during launch and a small turbo jet engine is used to sustain high subsonic speed with long endurance.
The indigenous data link designed by Bengaluru based Industry partner has been successfully flown and tested during the flight. The performance of the system during the entire flight duration has been confirmed from the data captured by various Range instruments deployed.
Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru based DRDO laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories has developed this indigenous unmanned aerial target system to meet the requirement of aerial targets of Indian Armed Forces.
The aircraft is controlled from a ground based controller and an indigenously developed MEMS based Inertial Navigation System along with the Flight Control Computer which helps it to follow the pre-designated path in a fully autonomous mode.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the successful test is noteworthy testimony of synergy between scientists and industry.
