EndureAir's Alakh nano UAV was displayed at Aero India 2023. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)
EndureAir, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, has delivered its Alakh nano unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the Indian Army. The Alakh was unveiled at the Aero India 2023 show held in Bangalore from 14 to 17 February.
EndureAir told Janes , βWork on [developing] Alakh started in early 2022 followed by flight tests in late 2022.β The company received an order in June 2022 to supply an unknown number of Alakh UAVs to the Indian Army and the system is deployed as of February 2023.
The Alakh is a multirotor, electric-powered, nano UAV developed to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The UAV is specifically designed to meet the Indian military's ISR and counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism (CI/CT) requirements.
The UAV features four detachable arms ending in landing legs, housing electric motors, powering the fixed-pitch three-bladed propellers. The central mast is attached with arms, an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) turret, and a battery at the top. The electric motors support vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and mission segments, which need manoeuvring.
The UAV, which is 200Γ175 mm in length and width, is built using lightweight composites, with a take-off weight of 250 g. It has a cruise speed of 60 km/h, a range of 2 km, and an endurance of 25 minutes. The UAV is IPX4-IPX6 rated and can penetrate up to seven walls for communication at a range of 4 km. In addition, the Alakh UAV can operate with low visual and aural signature and support beyond line-of-sight operations using a ground control station (GCS) application.
Four Alakh UAVs along with a handheld controller, FPV goggles, and a display screen can be backpackable.
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