ABHYAS has undergone a comprehensive series of ten successful flight trials at various test ranges, validating its design and performance parameters. All key objectives were achieved, with recent trials demonstrating exceptional system reliability, repeatability, and ease of deployment. These trials have confirmed that ABHYAS meets or exceeds global standards in expendable aerial target performance.
The aerial target is powered by a small, efficient gas turbine engine and launched through a booster designed by the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad. The propulsion configuration enables rapid acceleration and high-speed flight, mimicking the signature of combat aircraft and unmanned systems used by adversaries.
Developed with advanced materials and modular avionics, ABHYAS integrates a miniature autopilot and autonomous flight capability. Its compact laptop-based Ground Control System (GCS), also designed by ADE, allows for autonomous mission execution, flight path monitoring, and post-flight data analysis. The GCS facilitates aircraft integration, pre-flight checks, and real-time data recording for validation and performance improvement.
ABHYAS carries modular payloads for radar cross-section (RCS), infrared (IR), and visual augmentation. These configurations enable operators to simulate diverse targets such as hostile aircraft or cruise missiles, enhancing the realism of tracking, interception, and targeting exercises for the Army, Navy, and Air Force units.
The navigation system for ABHYAS has been indigenously developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad. This integration of RCI’s inertial navigation technology improves positional accuracy and autonomous control, vital for complex manoeuvres and diverse trajectory profiles. The collaboration between ADE, ASL, and RCI demonstrates the coherence of DRDO’s inter-laboratory synergy in defence system realisation.
Beyond its baseline role as an expendable aerial target, ABHYAS has shown potential for adaptation into advanced tactical roles. The system’s aerodynamic stability, control architecture, and lightweight design make it suitable for transformation into loitering munitions, kamikaze drones, electronic decoys, or manned–unmanned teaming assets. These capabilities position ABHYAS as a flexible test platform for next-generation unmanned solutions.
The decision to hand over production to L&T signifies a major step in indigenisation and industrial participation. L&T’s manufacturing capabilities will ensure efficient mass production, cost-effective scaling, and high-quality output for multiple defence establishments. This partnership further strengthens India’s Make in India initiative by linking state research with advanced private-sector production infrastructure.
In parallel developments, the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), Delhi, recently handed over the Sailor Aptitude System (SAS) to INS Chilka. This computerised aptitude battery, designed to allocate sailors to appropriate naval branches, reflects the same emphasis on scientific integration and human–technology synergy that defines India’s defence modernisation drive.
With ABHYAS entering production and new systems like SAS reinforcing personnel efficiency, India’s defence ecosystem is moving towards higher operational readiness, self-reliance, and advanced technological self-sufficiency.
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