Source: NIE
Context: The Indian Army has successfully developed and tested a First-Person View (FPV) kamikaze-role drone equipped with anti-tank munition.
About First Person View Kamikaze Anti-Tank Drone:
- What is it?
- A low-cost, First-Person View (FPV) drone equipped with impact-based anti-tank munition developed for kamikaze-style tactical warfare.
- Developed by:
- Indian Army’s Fleur-De-Lis Brigade, in collaboration with DRDO’s Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh.
- Aim: To enhance India’s capability in modern drone warfare through indigenous, cost-effective, and precision-strike systems.
- Features and Functions:
- First-Person View Control: Operated using FPV goggles that stream live visuals, providing real-time battlefield awareness and control.
- Kamikaze Strike Role: Acts as a single-use drone carrying impact-explosive payloads designed to destroy armoured targets like tanks.
- In-House Fabrication: Assembled at the Rising Star Drone Battle School, with over 100 units fabricated by March 2025 for training and trials.
- Dual-Safety Mechanism: Prevents accidental detonation; payload can only be activated via pilot’s radio controller under controlled conditions.
- Real-Time Feedback Relay: Live status updates of payload visible through FPV interface for safe and accurate deployment.
- Technical Optimization: Focus on weight balance, flight stability, and manoeuvrability for effective tactical deployment.
- Low-Cost Innovation: Estimated cost of ₹1.4 lakh per drone, with 5 inducted and 95 more being procured.
- Applications:
- Anti-Tank Missions: Effective against armoured targets in tactical zones
- Urban Warfare: Can fly through narrow spaces with precision control
- High-Risk Terrain Operations: Remote strike capability reduces soldier casualties.
- Surveillance and Target Elimination: Offers both eye-in-the-sky and direct kill capability.
