Patang (kite), an indigenously developed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for a 24/7 surveillance that can be deployed for both military and civilian purpose, jostles with its much illustrious and bigger air surveillance systems.
Amid very advanced radar and other electronic systems displayed by Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), Patang is among the latest offering from the defence public sector undertaking (PSU) that is equipped with day and night cameras to aid constant monitoring — be it at the porous border or by the traffic police in any urban setting.
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What sets this UAV apart from other currently available drones that are operated through a remote-controlled device is that it can be air bound 24 hours and transmit data without hindrance. “This is the first of its kind in the country since it is a tethered (connected to the ground station with a winch) UAV that receives power from the ground and transmits data through fibre optics. The other drones have a battery life of around 40 to 45 minutes and since they work on radio waves, they are susceptible to be jammed,” said Gunavanth Mate, manager, Electronics Warfare and Avionics, Bharat Electronics, Bengaluru.
The Electronic Warfare and Avionics division came up with the idea of tethered UAV as Border Security Force was toying with the idea of deploying micro aerostats for surveillance. “What we realised was that the aerostate require helium, which may not be available everywhere and transporting a ballon could be difficult.” Patang on the other hand, Mr. Mate said, was portable and could be deployed from anywhere within 10 minutes.