India’s Drishti-10 Starliner MALE Drone: Drishti-10 Starliner, India’s advanced MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is now being inducted into the Indian Navy to strengthen maritime defence. It is like a guardian of the skies that can stay airborne for more than a day, scan massive areas of ocean, and feed real-time intelligence straight to commanders monitoring maritime activity thousands of miles away.
What Is India’s Drishti-10 Starliner MALE Drone?
Drishti-10 Starliner is an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform essentially a powerful, smart, and long-range drone designed to watch and report, day or night, in all weather conditions.
R Adm Janak Bevli, VSM, Asst Chief of Naval Staff (Air) visited #NavalAirEnclave #Porbandar on 28 Nov 24 and reviewed Air operations & ongoing infra projects. The Admiral held discussions with #FOGNA and interacted with the Naval and Civilian staff of #NAE@Indiannavy@IN_WNC pic.twitter.com/SA7sAkB8vQ
— Gujarat Naval Area (@IN_GDD) November 29, 2024
It’s manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace at its Hyderabad facility, with technology roots in Israel’s well-regarded Hermes 900 UAV.
Features
MALE Class UAV: this is a Long-endurance drone operating at Medium Altitude, which means it has the capability to fly high (usually 10,000 to 30,000 feet) and the endurance of continuous flight for up to 36 hours.
Payload Capacity: equipped with the potential of carrying 450 kilograms of heavy and sophisticated sensors, communication gear, and radar units among others.
Certification: It is certified according to NATO STANAG 4671, which is one of the most important airworthiness standards, and this enables the drone to operate in both segregated and unsegregated airspace with safety. This kind of certification is very rare for military drones and it enhances the operational flexibility.
Autonomy & Connectivity: Built for self-governing operations and SATCOM (satellite communication), which indicates that it can be managed and provide data beyond the line-of-sight, right across the horizon.
Indian Navy to Induct 10 Drishti 10 MALE Drones for Round-the-Clock Sea Surveillance
India’s Drishti-10 Starliner MALE Drone: Core Technology
1. Long Endurance and High Altitude Flight
The Drishti-10 UAV can conduct its surveillance for no less than 36 straight hours, which is considerably longer than the time most crewed aircraft can manage. This ability is particularly important for monitoring the Indian Ocean, which is a vast expanse of water.
2. Multiple Payload Support
It has a maximum weight capacity of 450 kg and can transport:
- Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors that can take pictures in both day/night modes
- Radar equipment that can detect ships and small targets
- Tools for communications intelligence (COMINT) that can intercept signals and other specialist equipment.
3. SATCOM & Beyond Line-of-Sight Control
The satellite communication feature allows the Drishti-10 to operate at a distance that is much greater than the ground stations’ range, which consequently means that the aircraft can uninterruptedly observe the distant sea lanes or the strategic areas.
4. All-Weather Operational Capability
The STANAG certification that it has, guarantees its performance in extreme weather conditions, allowing its operation in the entire spectrum of climate conditions, from hot, humid sea areas to cyclone-prone regions, thereby being truly all-weather.
5. Autonomous Operations
The system is designed to the extent of allowing high automation, which, in turn, lessens the pilot’s workload and at the same time, increases mission reliability even during difficult situations.
How Drishti-10 Is Used in Maritime Defence?
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA): Drishti-10 is a powerful tool that can monitor entire sea areas, detect ships and even identify weather patterns. The Indian Ocean Region is immense and the only way for one manned patrol to cover it would be in a non-stop manner. UAV’s can fill this gap.
Anti-Piracy and Shipping Safety: Continuous ISR activities interlink the catchment of piracy or attacks on ships which are opined as the most vital way of international trade security.
Border & Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Monitoring: The Indian coastline and EEZ can be monitored for illegal fishing, smuggling, or naval intrusions. It has the unique capability to remain airborne for a day or more, facilitating uninterrupted surveillance.
Force Multiplier: The drone with real-time intelligence feeds to naval commanders enhances the efficiency of vessels, submarines, and coastal radar stations.
Strategic Importance
1. Boosts India’s Self-Reliance: Development of the aircraft under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative not only backs but also strengthens the domestic security production, making the country less dependent on imports.
2. Increases Regional Surveillance: The nearness to ISR instruments results in the very quick awareness of the maritime domain and thus, an advantage in the Indian Ocean where geopolitical rivalry is increasing, especial othy from China.
3. Fosters Interoperability: Its SATCOM and autonomous capabilities largely increase the interoperability among the naval systems, from the ships to the coastal command centers, thus creating a strong and effective surveillance architecture.
4. Economical Force Projection: Manned aircrafts or large crewed platforms do involve huge operational costs when compared to the Drishti-10 UAV, which renders the non-stop presence at a lower operational cost.
What’s Next for Drishti-10?
In the Indian Navy, the first drones have already been deployed already and the deployment is being carried out from coastal bases like Porbandar, which is a very valuable strategic location on the western sea front in Gujarat. Meanwhile, the Indian Army is also employing Drishti-10s for long-range border surveillance showing how versatile this platform can be for different defence needs.
