Why in the news?
In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy have initiated emergency procurement of satellite-linked Heron Mk II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Israel. This marks the first induction of Heron Mk II by the Indian Navy.
What is Emergency Procurement?
- Covered under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP).
- Allows armed forces to procure weapons/systems worth up to ₹300 crore per case.
- Meant for urgent operational requirements.
- Fast-tracked contracting and delivery timelines.
About Heron Mk II (MALE UAV)
Category: MALE – Medium Altitude Long Endurance.
Manufacturer: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Key Features (Prelims Points):
- Endurance: > 24 hours continuous flight.
- Payload Capacity: ~ half a tonne.
- Sensors:
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
- Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR)
- SIGINT (Signals Intelligence)
- SATCOM-enabled:
- Encrypted satellite communication
- Enables Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) operations.
- Fully automated Take-off & Landing (ATOL).
- All-weather ISR platform (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance).
Current Indian Operators:
- Indian Army (deployed in northern sector).
- Indian Air Force.
- Indian Navy (first time induction now).
| With reference to Agni-IV Missile, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2014)
1. It is surface-to surface missile. 2. It is fuelled by liquid propellant only. 3. It can deliver one-tonne nuclear warheads about 7500km away. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 only |
