Page 7 - Drones

Andhra deploys drones for flood relief; 'setting new precedent', says govt

Andhra Pradesh has launched a pioneering effort to use drones for flood relief operations, marking a significant shift in the country's disaster management approach, the government said on Thursday. The Union Civil Aviation Ministry said drones capable of carrying payloads up to 40 kg have been deployed in Vijayawada city to deliver essential supplies in areas currently inaccessible by traditional means. The drone technology has vast potential to ensure "timely and effective responses to emergencies", Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in a statement. "In the future, we will expand the use of drones beyond surveillance and agricultural applications to include dedicated models for disaster relief," he added. The ministry stated drones are being sourced from various parts of the country to further strengthen the relief efforts. The minister, who inspected the drones alongside the Drones Corporation of Andhra Pradesh on September 3, is actively engaging with manufacturers t

India to develop strict checks to avoid Chinese parts in military drones

An 'appropriate methodology' with the necessary technical evaluation criteria is being devised to prevent the inclusion of Chinese parts and electronics in these drones

200 Delhi women to be trained to fly drone; LG Saxena rolls out scheme

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has rolled out a scheme under which around 200 city women will be trained to operate a drone and be given a drone pilot licence certificate, Raj Niwas said on Saturday. Under the 'Namo Drone Didi' scheme, a total of Rs 25,000 will be spent on each trainee and funds will be raised through Corporate Social Responsibility. The initiative is part of a national mission that aims to empower rural women across the country with drone technology. The trainees will also be given drones, which they will be allowed to use or rent out. The exercise started with drone demonstration events in the city's Singhola village on Friday and Badu Sarai village on Saturday. An NGO has been roped in to carry out the demonstrations, which are going to be conducted across the city's villages, officials said. According to the administration, once trained, these 'Drone Didis' with pilot licence certificates will find ample opportunities to find a job or become self employe

Drone strike in Syria kills Saudi militant from an al-Qaida-linked group

A drone strike in northwestern Syria on Friday killed a Saudi militant from an al-Qaida-linked group as he was riding on a motorcycle, a war monitor and local residents said. The strike in the Jabal al-Zawiya area of the opposition-held Idlib province was believed to have been carried out by a US-led coalition that was established years ago to fight the militant Islamic State group. There was no immediate comment from the US military, which has carried out a series of attacks over the past several years targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in northwestern Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, said the killed man was identified as Abu Abdul Rahman Makki, a Saudi citizen and former leader of the now-defunct extremist Jund al-Aqsa militant group. Local media activist Kenana Hindawi said the motorcycle Makki was riding was hit by two missiles. The US National Counterterrorism Centre currently lists Makki as a leader in the Horas al-Din, o

India set to finalise $3.9 billion drone deal with US amid China-Pak threat

India is fast-tracking negotiations to acquire 31 weaponised MQ-9B 'hunter-killer' remotely-piloted drones from the US as China has ramped up its supply of armed drones to Pakistan

China test-flies biggest cargo drone as low-altitude economy rises

China has already begun commercial deliveries by drone

Flying drone without permit: Case registered against BRS leader KT Rama Rao

BRS working president KT Rama Rao allegedly flew a drone without permission to capture images of damage to Medigadda barrage, part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project

Russia reports Ukrainian drone barrage, Kyiv says it hit an airfield

Russian officials have said that Ukrainian forces overnight targeted multiple Russian regions with a massive drone barrage. Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed a total of 75 drones over a number of regions that lie on the border with Ukraine or not far from it, including Belgorod, Krasnodar, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov, Voronezh, and the Ryazan region deeper inside Russia. One of those drones was also shot down over the Azov sea, the statement said. Thirty-six drones were destroyed over the Rostov region, according to the ministry. Rostov Gov. Vasily Golubev said in an online statement, however, that the region was attacked by a total of 55 drones. He didn't specify how many of these were intercepted and how many hit the targets, saying only that warehouse facilities in the Morozovsk and Kamensky districts sustained damage in the attack. Ukraine's General Staff said on Saturday in a Facebook post that its forces struck an ...

Security forces seize arms consignment dropped by drone in J&K's Rajouri

Security forces seized on Friday a consignment of arms and ammunition suspected to have been dropped by a drone from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said. They said a search operation was initiated in the Nowshera area following the sighting of a suspected drone along the LoC in the Mangla battalion area. Army units engaged the drone with gunfire, and a cordon-and-search operation was launched in the early hours of the day, the officials added. During the search, a consignment suspected to have been by the drone was discovered and seized by Army and police personnel in the border village of Sehar in the Nowshera sub-division, they said. The items include a pistol, two magazines and 37 bullets. Search operations in the area are ongoing, the officials said.

16,000 remote pilot certificates issued for operating drones in India: Govt

As many as 16,000 Remote Pilot Certificates (RPCs) have been issued for operating drones in the country, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The certificates have been issued by the DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs). In a written reply, Mohol also said that 48 drone companies are producing DGCA type-certified Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) models in the country and 70 models have been type certified by the regulator. "The drone industry is witnessing growth in India. Till date, 16,000 Remote Pilot Certificates (RPC) have been issued by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-approved RPTOs," he said. There are 116-DGCA-approved RPTOs.

BSF intercepts 125 drones from Pakistan in 2024, seizes drugs and weapons

The Border Security Force has intercepted 125 drones this year along Punjab's border with Pakistan, marking a notable rise from 22 drones intercepted in 2022 and 107 in 2023

Ukraine drone attacks on Russia's Belgorod region leaves 1 dead, 4 injured

Russian defence ministry said that its air defence systems destroyed a total of 29 Ukraine-launched drones over the region's territory

IAF to acquire 6 Tapas drones, lead acquisition for Made-in-India UAVs

The Indian Air Force will be the lead agency for the induction and acquisition of the Tapas drones into the defence forces, they said

US approves new $360 mn arms sale to Taiwan for drones, related equipment

The Biden administration on Tuesday approved a new USD 360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material, the State Department said in a statement that is sure to draw condemnation from China. The announcement was not unexpected but it comes at a time of high tension between Washington and Beijing, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to consolidate by force if necessary. The sale includes 291 Altius-600M systems, which are unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, with warheads. It also includes 720 Switchblade drones known as extended-range loitering munitions, the State Department said. It said the sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability. It will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, milita

Army inducts indigenous Nagastra-1 kamikaze drones from Solar Industries

The rise in drone-related incidents along India's Northern borders underscores the urgent need for indigenous capabilities in utilising drones and UAVs for combat applications

Indian Army gets first indigenous suicide drones with reusable technology

The army ordered these drones using its emergency procurement powers, and they were delivered within a year to address urgent needs along the Pakistan and China borders

China-made drone recovered in border area of Punjab's Tarn Taran: BSF

Notably, this is the third Chinese drone that the security forces have recovered in the district since last week

US, India in talks for $3.99 billion MQ-9B drone deal. Details here

The drones, intended for maritime roles, will be stationed at three hubs, including INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu

DoT plans trials for drone & balloon-based 5G restoration during disasters

The Department of Telecommunications will likely conduct trials in the coming months to assess the effectiveness of this initiative

Amazon expanding US drone service after regulator's nod to fly devices

Prime Air was slow to launch. A Bloomberg investigation in 2022 revealed that the program was beset by technical challenges, high turnover and safety concerns