On Wednesday (10th January), Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar unveiled the first indigenously manufactured Drishti 10 Starliner Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in Hyderabad. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has been manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace in collaboration with Israeli firm Elbit Systems.
Admiral R Hari Kumar (PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC), Chief of the Naval Staff, led the flag-off ceremony, praising Adani Group’s efforts in aligning its roadmap to the Navy’s requirements and establishing an ecosystem of partners and capabilities to enable ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence and security.
#WATCH | Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar unveils the Drishti 10 Starliner drones manufactured by Adani Defence in Hyderabad.
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
The firm said the drone is an advanced Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours of endurance, 450 kgs payload… pic.twitter.com/tfdSYImRuX
“This is a momentous occasion and a transformative step in India’s quest for self-reliance in ISR technology and maritime supremacy. Drishti 10’s integration will enhance our naval capabilities, strengthening our preparedness for ever-evolving maritime surveillance and reconnaissance,” he said.
Minister of Industries and Commerce, IT, Electronics and Legislative Affairs of Telangana, D Sridhar Babu, congratulated the Adani Defence and Aerospace team for setting up a vibrant ecosystem for unmanned systems.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of Army Aviation, Lieutenant General Ajay Suri, said that the Indian Navy and Indian Army have placed orders for two of these Drishti-10 drones to meet the emergent requirement for satellite communication-enabled drones. He said the Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad is a world-class facility with a focus on innovation and indigenization, a testament to Indian ingenuity. This self-reliance immensely bolsters the nation’s confidence and strength.
Jeet Adani, VP, Adani Enterprises, said, “Recent geopolitical events have reinforced the convergence of physical, informational, and cognitive tactics underpinned by intelligence, information processing capabilities and the use of unmanned and cyber systems for dissemination of information and disinformation.”
“Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms across land, air and naval borders are a key priority for Adani to serve the armed forces and place India on the global map for exports. We are proud to be able to serve the Indian Navy,” he added.
Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace, said, “The handover of the Drishti 10 Starliner UAV is a watershed moment in our journey towards self-sufficiency and indigenization of advanced technologies. Our on-time delivery to the Navy is a testament to our robust quality management processes and excellent support from our partners, who worked diligently over the last 10 months from contract to delivery.”
The Drishti 10 Starliner Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours of endurance and a 450 kg payload capacity. The only all-weather military platform with NATO’s STANAG 4671 (standardised agreement 4671) certification for the UAV system’s airworthiness, it is cleared to fly in both segregated and unsegregated airspace. The UAV will now be taken from Hyderabad to Porbandar to be inducted into naval maritime operations.
The Drishti-10 is an indigenously assembled version of the Elbit Hermes-900 MALE UAV.
Adani Aerospace Park is the country’s first final assembly line in the private sector for military-grade unmanned systems, tactical and loitering drones, seamlessly integrated with carbon aerostructures manufacturing unit, electronics and avionics unit, and EO IR (electro-optical/infrared) payloads thus contributing to more than 70 per cent indigenisation.
Adani Defence and Aerospace, part of the Adani Group, is a pioneer in the design, development, and manufacturing of state-of-the-art defence products.
Better known as the Hermes 900, the drones are manufactured in India by Adani Defence. pic.twitter.com/IuRTwBF74L
— Manu Pubby (@manupubby) January 10, 2024
According to Adani Defence’s website, the Drishiti Starliner UAV is highly autonomous and mission-effective. Multiple hard points and a modular internal installation bay weighing 250 kg. A value chain for high-level indigenization has been created. It is authorised to fly in civil airspace and is loaded with capabilities for multi-payload and persistent wide-area surveillance.
