DRDO conducts flight-test of indigenous aerial target ‘Abhyas’.

Why in news?

• DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of indigenously developed High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas recently. The successful flight test of Abhyas was conducted from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

About High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) Abhyas and its test

• Abhyas is a high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT) that is being built by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO.
• HEAT Abhyas demonstrated a high subsonic speed trajectory at a very low altitude with high endurance during the flight test. The two boosters provided initial acceleration during launch and a small turbojet engine was used to sustain the high subsonic speed with long endurance.
• Abhyas’s radar cross-section (RCS) and its visual and infrared signatures can be boosted to simulate a variety of aircraft for air-defense weapon practices.
• Abhyas is also GPS-enabled and has an onboard flight control computer and a miss-distance indicator.
• The aircraft is designed for autonomous flight with the help of an autopilot.