Defexpo 2022: Aerosense focuses on UAV development, signs MOU with BEL

Aerosense Technologies has been collaborating with BEL for its tethered UAV (pictured above). BEL has integrated its jammers, weighing about 17 kg, into the UAV. (Janes/Oishee Majumdar)

Delhi-based Aerosense Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) on 20 October for research and development (R&D) and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), CEO of the company, Commodore (retd) Karanjit Sharma, told Janes at Defexpo 2022 being held at Gandhinagar from 18 to 22 October.

The company has been collaborating with BEL for its tethered UAV, which has the potential to be used for surveillance and electronic warfare (EW), Sharma said.

BEL's jammers, weighing around 17 kg, have been integrated into the UAV. The UAVs can fly with these jammers at a height of 70–100 m, he said.

Since there is no issue of endurance for a tethered UAV, it can provide round-the-clock surveillance for the armed forces, he added.

Given increasing intrusions by hostile UAVs along India's borders, this kind of a tethered UAV can augment counter-drone capabilities of the Indian Army and the Border Security Force (BSF), Sharma said.

In late September, Aerosense field-tested the tethered UAV (without BEL's jammers) with the Indian Army in the northeastern part of the country, Sharma told Janes .

“The UAV will be tested with the BEL jammers in an Indian government environment next month,” he said.

Sharma said the tethered UAV has a surveillance range of 8–10 km, and can detect hostile UAVs at a range of 20 km based on radio frequency (RF) signals.

The UAV can operate at temperatures between -15°C and 55°C.