Abhyas: High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT)

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• The DRDO has successfully flight-tested ABHYAS – the High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Odisha. 

About

Purpose: 

• The indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle will be used as a target for the evaluation of various missile systems. 

Features: 

• ABHYAS is powered by a gas turbine engine due to which, aircraft will sustain a long endurance flight at a subsonic speed. 
• This target aircraft has been equipped with a MEMS-based Inertial Navigation System (INS) in order to navigate along with Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control. 
• It has been programmed for fully autonomous flight. The check-out of air vehicles is completed through a laptop-based Ground Control Station (GCS).

Image Courtesy: ET

Source: PIB