Indian Navy rules out deploying HAL built Tejas because it is overweight

The Indian Navy has ruled out deploying indigenously built light combat aircraft Tejas on its aircraft carriers because these aircraft are overweight and, hence, cannot meet the requirements. This was informed by Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff - he said that the navy is looking to procure an alternative aircraft.
This has been reported in news18.com dated 2 December 2016.

As the Chief of Naval Staff has clarified - "As far as the carrier-based aircraft is concerned, we need it in a time line of the induction of the aircraft carrier. We have the MiG 29K, which operates from Vikramaditya and will operate from (indigenous aircraft carrier) IAC Vikrant ... We were also hoping to operate the LCA (Light Combat Aircraft-Tejas) from these two aircraft carriers.....Unfortunately, the LCA is not being able to meet the carrier's required capability. That is why we need an alternative aircraft to operate from these two aircraft carriers."
He has said that the navy is still encouraging India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop the Naval LCA. Moreover, he hs also added that the Navy is looking at UAVs which can operate from ships and autonomous sub-surface vehicles for surveillance.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Welcome the Drone Ranger to trace your lost drone

Drones that used to, till recently, be linked to assassinations of unwanted elements but have now entered the life of the common man and the rising popularity of the UAVs has given rise to a new breed of investigators – the Drone Rangers who can trace your missing drone once you lose contact with it in the air. This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 26 April 2015.

The earlier notices and signs pinned to trees appealing for help to trace a missing pet have been replaced by notices seeking information about missing drones. A gentleman found a damaged Phantom drone. Its cost was around £350 and it was fund near Brockwell Park, South London.
Since there was no clue as to who the owner was, the finder posted a 'Drone found' notice in the park. Within hours he was contacted by three people who believed that the machine might be theirs. However, it is still unclaimed.
As Chris Anderson, head of drone maker 3D Robotics, has clarified – drones have become so easy to fly people just open up the box and put them in the air. Missing drones is a problem in the United States and internet forums have been set up to discuss the problem.

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Drones are the eyes in the sky for farmers, the future of agriculture

#drones #UAV #pesticides #fertilisers Drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have proved their worth in innumerable wars of the last decade and are gradually finding acceptance in civil lives - in the opinion of farmers, these drones could soon become indispensable as a farming equipment to agriculture and occupy a position alongside the tractor and combine harvester. This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 27 February 2015.
The Federal Aviation Administration is seized of the problems and has recently released new rules that would be governing the use of drones. Therefore, farmers, who view drones as a method of getting a birds-eye view of their fields so as to monitor crops accordingly would be able to pinpoint areas that would require fertilizer and pesticides.
Incidentally, commercial use of drones is still not approved but many farmers have begun to use them over their property. To them, an eye in the sky can be a great help for the farmer to assess more accurately the needs of the farm and its crops.
An example is the X8M drone – it has the ability to not just fly over a large area but also detect discoloration that might not be visible to the human eye, thanks to the equipment installed in the drone. That way, pesticides can be used only in areas that require them and, in the long run, it would mean less of harmful chemicals in the world.

Quadcopter drone lands unannounced in the grounds of the White House

#quadcopter #drone #WhiteHouse #UAV The appearance of a quadcopter drone in the grounds of the White House has put a huge question mark on the security system in the White House and has highlighted the growing security threat posed by small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). It is believed to be a harmless drone but the fact remains that it had breached security belt.
The incident in the White House has come less than two weeks after a drone flew over the French presidential palace in Paris.
Drones can fly at low altitudes and, hence, detecting these devices poses a challenge to those involved in providing security cover to people who matter.
As the Secret Service has clarified - the drone was a 2-foot-long commercially available "quadcopter." An officer posted on the south grounds of the White House complex had, reportedly, "heard and observed" the device "flying at a very low altitude" shortly after 3 a.m. ET. It was a commercially available device and did not pose any threat.
However, the possible dangers of drones cannot be ruled out. As Caroline Baylon, a cybersecurity researcher at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, in London, has indicated – due to their small size and ability to hover low over the ground, the drones can pose a huge security headache.
Drones have opened up an area that has not been defended before – most of the available radars cannot detect drones that have the ability to fly really low.