Aero India 2023: EndureAir Systems showcases enhanced Vibhram-G UAV

Vibhram-G in its latest iteration can fly for 3 hours while providing a range of 100 km. (Janes/Amit Kalra)

Noida-based EndureAir Systems displayed an enhanced version of its Vibhram-G (gasoline powered) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the Aero India 2023 show, held in Bangalore from 13 to 17 February.

Rama Krishna, CEO of EndureAir Systems, told Janes that the UAV has been enhanced to meet the Indian military's requirements for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. In its latest iteration, Vibhram-G features a maximum range of 100 km, an endurance of 3 hours, a maximum take-off weight of 15 kg, and a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Development work on the enhanced Vibhram-G was completed in the last five months, Krishna said.

The new version of the Vibhram-G has an enlarged canopy that accommodates an additional fuel tank, increasing the fuel capacity to 4 litres as compared with the 2.5 litres available in earlier iterations. The powerplant has also been integrated with an electronic fuel injection system (EFI), providing enhanced combustion and reduced engine maintenance cycles.

The Vibhram-G UAV uses a commercial-off-the-shelf dual sensor stabilised gimbal, fitted under its nose section. The payload has an 80x zoom capability during daytime and a resolution of 1280×720 during night.

The enhanced Vibhram-G uses 256-bit encryption for communication links as opposed to the 128-bit encryption in previous versions. The UAV also makes use of digital surface model (DSM) maps for navigation.

Krishna said the Vibhram-G UAV has conducted multiple flight tests in the country's southwestern regions under the supervision of the Indian Army's South Western Command. The regional topography has delimiting geographical borders covered with sand, which increases the possibility of sand ingress in the exposed functional parts of the UAV.