ADASI demonstrates Garmoosha to Middle Eastern militaries, continues trials for UAE customer

ADASI Garmoosha UAV with ventral payload turret. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)

Edge Group subsidiary ADASI demonstrated its Garmoosha light unmanned helicopter to a number of armed forces in the Middle East, including the UAE Navy in February 2023, Janes has learnt.

An ADASI spokesperson said the demonstration was part of ongoing field trials of the Garmoosha unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Abu Dhabi area for an undisclosed customer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The aircraft is primarily designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It features a piston engine that develops 130 hp and enables the 550 kg UAV to hover at an altitude of 10,000 ft and achieve a top speed of 150 km/h. It can carry up to 120 kg of payload in its standard configuration.

Garmoosha can be equipped with payloads that include L3 Harris Wescam's MX-10 and MX-15 electro-optic/infrared imaging systems, Hensoldt's Argos ISR system, radar, and light detection and ranging (LIDAR), the spokesperson said. The aircraft uses a line-of-sight datalink with a range of 150 km, and has an endurance of eight hours. It can be controlled remotely or follow pre-loaded Global Positioning System (GPS) co-ordinates.

The development of Garmoosha started in 2019, and its maiden flight took place in 2020. According to the spokesperson, as of March 2023, the land operations version of the UAV is at full-rate production for the undisclosed customer and work continues on the naval variant. Janes understands that work previously under way on a heavy fuel engine variant of Garmoosha has ceased – heavy fuel is often preferred by naval operators for safety reasons, among others.

The UAV is being pitched to both civil and military users, but development work is focused on the military.