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BALASORE, Feb 8: India on Wednesday tested an advanced version of the home-grown pilot-less plane Lakshya from a defence base in Orissa, officials said here. The unmanned aerial vehicle was test flown at 11.48am from the integrated test range at Chandipur in the coastal district of Balasore. This was its second test since Monday.
Lakshya is a subsonic reusable aerial target system that is remote-controlled from the ground and is designed to impart training to both pilots and air defence personnel in engaging targets, IANS reported.
Wednesday’s trial was undertaken with an improved engine and other sub-systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to check the viability of the improved engine, officials said.
Lakshya has a flight duration of 30 to 35 minutes. It drops down with the help of a parachute and is later retrieved by a helicopter.
Officials said the six-foot micro-aircraft was designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bangalore and Bharat Dynamics Limited in Hyderabad developed its engine.
MIG-29 JETS: India is finalising a proposal to have its fleet of 67 MiG-29 multi-role fighters refurbished for $888 million by the Russian company RSK-MiG, but the upgrade programme is already two years behind schedule.
Granted financial clearance by the defence ministry in fiscal year 2005-06, the MiG-29 upgrade project has already been delayed by over two years. It is now likely to commence only in fiscal 2006-07 and be completed around four years later, officials said.—Online
