Chennai:

India will soon join the elite league of nations like the US and the United Kingdom in developing unmanned aerial vehicles (drone).

“We have been developing unmanned aerial aircraft and helicopters for which we have signed pacts with several institutes like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, to do research in rotary motor for helicopters and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for payload, besides sensors”, P. Soundara Rajan, managing director (helicopter complex), HAL, said after signing a  memorandum of understanding with IIT Madras to set up a centre for aerospace transmission system.

Elaborating on HAL’s projects, Soundara Rajan said  the public sector undertaking (PSU) with Russians had embarked on a mission to produce 10-12 tonne category helicopters for VIPs like the President, Prime Minister and top government officials as these helicopters need to fly at an altitude of 23,000 feet at areas like Leh and Ladak.

The helicopter complex chief lamented that most of the components used today in aircraft and helicopters in India come from foreign countries. “We need to work more to develop indigenous components for our military needs”, Soundara Rajan pointed out.

Providing details about the tie-up between the institute and HAL, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras, said the strategic cooperation would help undertake joint research in the field of transmission system for helicopter and engine programmes for HAL. “This partnership will evolve required software and design solutions for different types of gears, bearings, lubrication system, vibration monitoring systems and production technologies”, he added.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / May 21st, 2013