DRDO Netra
Indian lightweight VTOL UAV for surveillance and reconnaissance.
The DRDO Netra, whose name means "Eyes" in Sanskrit, is a lightweight, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle built for surveillance and reconnaissance. It was created through a collaboration between the Research and Development Establishment (R&DE) and IdeaForge, a private company based in Mumbai.
The drone is constructed from carbon fiber composites, which keeps its weight down to just 1.5 kilograms. It uses quadcopters for lift and control, giving it vertical takeoff and landing capability. Apart from the rotors, motors, and transmissions, there are no moving parts, so maintenance requirements are low. The entire system fits into a backpack case that operators can carry to field locations; this case also serves as the base station, containing the power supply, a military-grade controller, a hand-held operator console, and communication gear.
Netra can take off from a small clearing and fly up to 2.5 kilometers from its starting point, with a maximum operational altitude of 200 meters. On a single battery charge, it can conduct surveillance for 30 minutes within a 1.5-kilometer line of sight at 300 meters altitude. It carries a high-resolution CCD camera with pan, tilt, and zoom for wider coverage, and can be fitted with a thermal camera for night missions. The zoom camera can identify human activity from up to 500 meters away, and it sends live video feeds of objects within a 5-kilometer radius to laptops via a local wireless network.
Flight and navigation are fully autonomous, controlled by an onboard autopilot with anti-collision sensors. The user interface supports waypoint navigation: the operator specifies a target location, and the UAV flies there automatically. A built-in fail-safe returns the drone to base if communication with the controller is lost or if the battery runs low. The Netra cannot currently operate in rain, and further research is underway to make it all-weather capable.
During development, DRDO built ten prototypes and subjected them to tests ranging from -10°C to 55°C, as well as high-altitude trials. After these successful tests, the UAV was cleared for production and induction. IdeaForge now handles manufacturing, with a capacity of ten units per month. The base price is between ₹15 and ₹20 lakh (1.5 to 2 million rupees), which increases with optional components like a thermal camera.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- Mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
- National Origin
- India
- Manufacturer
- IdeaForge
- Designer
- Research and Development Establishment
- Primary User
- Central Reserve Police Force
- More Users
- Border Security Force
- Construction Date
- 2010–present
- Introduction
- 30 January 2012
- First Flight
- 3 July 2010
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Netra is manufactured using carbon fiber composites, resulting in a weight of 1.5 kg and high portability. It uses quadcopters for lift and control, providing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability. The design has no moving parts other than rotors, motors, and transmissions, requiring very low maintenance. A backpack case serves as the base station, containing the power supply, military-grade controller, hand-held operator console, and communication systems.
Flight and navigation are independent of user input, controlled by an on-board autopilot with anti-collision sensors. The user interface offers waypoint navigation, where the user specifies the target location and the UAV automatically flies there. A built-in fail-safe returns it to base if communication is lost or battery power is low. The UAV cannot yet operate in rain, and further research is being done for all-weather capability.
Ten prototypes were made during development and underwent temperature tests from -10°C to 55°C as well as high-altitude tests. After successful trials, the UAV was cleared for production and induction. IdeaForge handles production with a manufacturing capacity of 10 units per month.
Reader's Guide
The Netra has been deployed by several central and state armed police forces in India, with more police units expressing interest. It was used by local law enforcement during a political rally in Chandigarh. Gujarat Police purchased two systems at a unit price of ₹55 lakh. In July 2013, during the 136th Jagannath Rath Yatra, Ahmedabad became the first Indian city to use UAVs for crowd management, employing three Netra units. The UAV saw its first disaster rescue deployment during the 2013 North India floods in Uttarakhand, where the NDRF used three Netra UAVs in Badrinath and Kedarnath. Real-time monitoring of their video feed helped locate hundreds of survivors with precision. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police also deployed the UAV on 24 June in remote locations like Kedarnath, Bhairav Chatti, and Jungle Chatti to spot survivors. The drone is designed for hostage situations, border infiltration monitoring, law enforcement, search and rescue, disaster management, aerial photography, and operations in naxal-affected districts and dense forested areas. It can also operate in urban quarters, in situations similar to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Indian Army, Indian Navy, and several other state police and central paramilitary forces have shown interest in the UAV.
Did You Know?
- The Netra is made of carbon fiber composites and weighs only 1.5 kg.
- It can identify human activity up to 500 m away using its zoom-in camera.
- The UAV was deployed during the 2013 North India floods to locate survivors.
More in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Country, Part 3 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced