IAF Launches 'Vayu Baan': India's First Helicopter-Launched Drone

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched the ‘Vayu Baan’ project. This is the first such project of the IAF in which drones will be deployed from helicopters.

Sources in the defence sector stated that this indigenous project is being led by the IAF’s Directorate of Aerospace Design (DAD). DAD had issued a ‘Request for Proposal’ (RFP) earlier this month, inviting bids from domestic vendors for the design and development of this system.

Basically, ‘Vayu Baan’ will be a small drone that can move autonomously towards its target after being released from helicopters.

Once airborne, it will send real-time video to operators and, if required, will carry out precise strikes using the small warhead (explosive) it carries.

Features of helicopter-launch drone system ‘Vayu Baan’

Vayu Baan (which means ‘air arrow’) is an indigenous ‘Air-Launched Effects’ (ALE) program, designed to integrate unmanned aerial systems directly with manned rotary-wing platforms (helicopters).

The drone is expected to have a range of more than 50 kilometres and an endurance of about 30 minutes. Equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors, this drone will be capable of surveillance as well as target identification.

Most importantly, even if the enemy forces jam or disable GPS signals, this drone will continue to function. This project is progressing rapidly; the IAF expects to complete the development, testing and delivery of the first batch of this drone within one year.

This process will include trials of dropping drones from helicopters, integration of payloads (weapons) and testing at high altitude. Only after completion of all these stages will the system be approved for operational use.

Global examples of helicopter-launch drone systems

With ‘Vayu Baan’, India is going to join the group of selected countries working on air-launched unmanned systems. For example, China has demonstrated swarms of drones deployed in the air from platforms like the Xi’an H-6 bomber.

Similarly, in the United States, the DARPA-led Gremlins program has demonstrated launching swarms of drones from transport aircraft and recovering them mid-air, while the US Army’s “Air-Launched Effects” effort is moving towards integrating them on platforms like UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache.