Aerospace Diary

AVIATION INTERNATIONAL NEWS  »  AUGUST 2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS India’s air force rescued thousands trapped in the mountains after June’s landslides and flooding. August 2, 2013, 4:55 AM Landslides and flooding in the mountains of North India in mid-June that killed approximately 10,000 and stranded more than 80,000 triggered the largest-ever search-and-rescue operation by the Indian military. The more than 60 aircraft involved in the operation contended with treacherous weather, low visibility and strong winds; high-tension wires; and no infrastructure or lights on the ground in perilous landing zones with no helipads. “Military pilots are trained always to find a place to land,” Nasir Hanfee, retired  IAF  helicopter pilot, told  AIN . However, this skill can prove elusive for larger helicopters that need more space. For example, while a Chetak (Alouette  III ) can land in a three-meter-diameter spac...

PROGRAMS Jul 7 NEW DELHI — India’s Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO) has developed a UAV weighing less than 1.5 kg. (3.3 lb.) dubbed “Netra,” according to a local press report. The UAV is the result of a collaboration between ideaForge, a company formed by alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology at Powai and DRDO’s Pune-based lab, the Research and Development Establishment. The UAV is designed for anti-terrorist and counterinsurgency operations and is expected to be inducted into the army by December. The drone was exhibited at DefExpo this year. “Shaped like a spider ... it can give real-time inputs to the team that is controlling it on the ground,” according to a statement. “Netra has a camera weighing 300 grams, has a quick deployment time and vertical takeoff and landing ability,” ideaForge Director Rahul Singh said last year. - Neelam Mathews