India-based private sector supplier Mahindra Defence has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Israeli company Aeronautics to offer a maritime version of the Orbiter 4 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the Indian Navy.
The Orbiter 4 advanced multi-mission platform features an open architecture configuration and has been designed to carry and operate two different payloads simultaneously.
The newly contracted UAV system to be offered to the Indian Navy will be capable of being launched and recovered from small warships with lengths of approximately 50m.
Manufacturing work on the UAV is set to be carried out on a collaborative basis in India.
Aeronautics a public-listed company and is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the Orbiter series of UAV solutions.
Aeronautics CEO Amos Mathan said: “We are ready for transfer of technology and transfer of production line in India.
“This is a sign of Aeronautics’ commitment to India by offering our newest and most advanced aerial solutions for operations by the Indian Navy, one of the best navies in the world.”
Mahindra Group Aerospace and Defence Sector group president SP Shukla added: “We believe that Indian Armed Forces should get the state-of-the-art products, while we develop skill and competency for defence manufacturing indigenously.
“Specifically, we have entered into this partnership to address a range of possibilities from offsets to manufacturing in India, which includes the transfer of technology and lifetime support of the product.”
The Aeronautics Orbiter 4 can carry a variety of different payloads such as maritime patrol radars (MPRs), cellular interception sensors, satellite communication systems, synthetic aperture radars (SARs), automatic identification systems (AISs) and advanced electro-optic payloads.
The UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 50kg, a maximum flight altitude of 18,000ft and a maximum endurance of up to 24 hours.
