New Heron Mark 2 Drones: The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted four strike-capable Heron Mark 2 drones at a forward air base in the northern sector on Sunday, providing a significant boost to the country’s defence sector. Wing Commander Pankaj Rana, the commanding officer of the drone squadron, claims that the drones can conduct surveillance from throughout the country in a single sortie.
Long-range missiles and other armament systems can be installed on the four new Heron Mark-2 drones.
The drones have a satellite communication capacity, which is a long-desired feature for the IAF because they can fly over vast distances for up to 36 hours. According to ANI, the drones can also laser illuminate enemy targets from very great distances to assist fighter aircraft in destroying them with their long-range armaments.
The Heron Mark 2 drones have a longer endurance and can provide 24×7 surveillance of targets, allowing numerous missions to be flown and various sectors to be handled in a single flight.
Drones may also operate in any weather or terrain.
“The Heron Mark 2 is a very capable drone. This is capable of longer endurance and has ‘beyond line of sight’ capability,”“The Heron Mark 2 is a very capable drone. This is capable of longer endurance and has ‘beyond line of sight’ capability,”
According to military experts, the drones can be outfitted with many types of armaments, since original equipment manufacturers can outfit them with air-to-ground missiles, anti-tank weapons, and explosives.
Meanwhile, the IAF is inducting 31 Predator drones, which are high altitude, long endurance drones that would assist the Indian Navy in covering broad areas of the Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy will operate 15 of these drones, while the Indian Army and IAF will each receive eight drones.
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