HomeAatmanirbhar BharatIndian Army to test PALM 400 precision attack loitering system in Pokhran

Indian Army to test PALM 400 precision attack loitering system in Pokhran

Source : Broadsword


Indian Army to test PALM 400 precision attack loitering system in Pokhran
Representative Image



By Ajay Shukla

The 44-Day-War in 2020 between Azerbaijan and Armenia, followed by the Russia-Ukraine war that has raged for over a year, have both established a battle-winning weapon of modern warfare – the armed remotely piloted vehicle (RPV), usually referred to as the armed drone.
 
Now India’s military has begun equipping itself with variants of armed drones that could tilt battles in its favour on the mountainous Sino-Indian frontier or in the deserts of Rajasthan, where Indian armoured forces face off against Pakistani tanks.
 
Over the coming week, the army will conducts tests in Pokhran ofan “aerial targeting system” for the artillery directorate. It is called the PALM 400 – the acronym for “precision attack loitering system” – and is designed to fly over armoured vehicle concentrations, or areas where they are expected. When the armoured vehicles arrive in this “kill zone”, each PALM 400 picks out its target and fires an armour-penetrating projectile, penetrating it from the top, where its armour protection is the least.
 
In mid-February, another PALM RPV passed a gruelling set of trials in the extreme altitudes of Sikkim. There, the RPV was fired from an altitude of 18,000 feet and, after loitering at 19,500 feet, fired a thermobaric warhead that struck a target 8 kilometres away.
 
The PALM 400 RPV is launched from a canister and can loiter (remain on station) over a kill zone for up to 120 minutes flying at 3,000-4,000 feet above the ground. It flies at 50-140 knots (90-260 kilometres per hour), giving it a range of over 100 km.
 
These capabilities have ensured the army has chosen AVision Systems from 21 companies in a global Request for Proposals (RfP). All that is left is for the PALM system to pass its trials in Pokhran.
 
The PALM 400 claims to be an Indian product, since AVision Systems is a joint venture (JV) between Israeli firm, UVision Air Ltd and Hyderabad-
based Aditya Precitech Private Ltd (APPL). The Indian firm has had a long association with the Defence Research & Development (DRDO) in various missile projects.
 
PALM RPVs employ state-of-the art, stabilized, dual electro-opticalinfra-red (EOIR) cameras to identify and engage targets during day or night. Its high-end, homing capabilities ensure accurate tracking of static and moving targets. The RPV employs sophisticated navigation methods, which allow it to operate even in environments where the Global Positioning System – the navigation backbone for most missile systems – has been denied to the system. 
 
Trials conducted so far have determined that the PALM 400’s design allows for exceptional manoeuvrability, and has a mid-air abort capability that allows automatic re-entry into loitering mode, re-engagement, or return to the recovery area using a parachute. 
 
In trials, the system has demonstrated an ability to stealthily loiter above a target, gather intelligence and strike instantly at time-sensitive threats. The PALM 400 is also effective against strategic enemy targets with its customizable warhead designed to handle different types of targets. 

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat

All

Dept of defence production issues notification for reorganisation of DGQA

The defence ministry has issued a notification for "reorganisation" of the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) aimed at speeding up quality assurance processes...

First Tejas Mk1A aircraft takes shape: First Glimpse of tail number LA-5033 viral on X platform

Source : IgMp Bureau The Indian Air Force's (IAF) indigenous fighter jet program, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, has reached a significant milestone with...

AMCA 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Updates

India’s Cost-Effective Approach to Developing AMCA Indigenous 5th Generation Stealth Fighter

Source : IgMp Bureau India has recently approved its ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, which aims to develop a domestic 5th-generation fighter jet....

HAL Proposes Existing Facility for AMCA 5th Generation Stealth Fighter Production Under SPV Model

Source : IgMp Bureau India’s AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) program has received a significant boost with government approval for its development. This 5th generation...

Most Popular

Recent Comments

Archive Months

Miscellanous

Indian Navy plans to use UAVs on board Aircraft Carriers for EW strike missions and air to air refuelling

Source : IgMp BureauRepresentative ImageThe Indian Navy is set to announce its first-ever unclassified version of the unmanned road map about underwater capabilities that...

ADA to offer Tejas Mk2 with indigenous engine in second batch

Source : Indian Defence Updates (IDU)An Artistic CGI of Tejas Mk2 by Artist Kuntal BiswasWe had reported recently that the Indian Air Force has...

Air Force To Procure Another 97 Tejas Mark-1A Jets

https://www.defencenews.in/2023/10/air-force-to-procure-another-97-tejas-mark-1a-jets/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.defencenews.in%2F2023%2F10%2Fair-force-to-procure-another-97-tejas-mark-1a-jets%2F IAF is in the process of finalising a ₹ 1.15 lakh crore deal. With the additional 97 TEJAS MK-1A jets, the total number...

India, NATO have been in touch for quite some time: MEA

Source : Asian News International (ANI)India and NATO have been in touch for quite some time informs MEA spokesperson Arindam BagchiNew Delhi: India and...
Visits
error: Content is protected !!