The Indian army has long struggled with a lack of armed drones. The Indian armed forces have been searching for a military-grade armed remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) for a long time. With the launch of the PALM-400 – an acronym for ‘precision attack loitering system,’ that is finally over.
According to reports, the Indian army successfully tested the prototype version of the PALM-400. It launched a thermobaric warhead from a canister developed in India. The armed remotely piloted vehicle is the broadest definition of the system (RPV). The tests were carried out at the highest altitude in Sikkim, where the PALM-400 RPV was fired from 18,000 feet and then loitered at 19,500 feet. The tests, according to sources, took place in Sikkim.
PALM 400 RPV (Remotely Piloted Vehicle)
AVision Systems (Israel), UVision Air Ltd, and Aditya Precitech Private Ltd collaborated to develop the PALM 400. (APPL). According to reports, the contract was awarded to the Israeli entity through an open tender, also known as a Request for Proposals (RFP) in military parlance. RPVs are extremely complex systems that involve the integration of multiple systems based on advanced sensory elements.
PALM-400 RPV’s Firepower
The RPV has a firing range of more than 100 kilometers. The RPVs will technically be able to provide map data to battlefield planners and airstrikes. While it is unclear whether the sensors were developed collaboratively, the PALM-400 is said to use the most advanced sensors for its precision attacks based on autonomous integration. The PALM-400 has next-generation dual electro-optical and infrared cameras, as well as alternative navigation systems.
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In addition to intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, RPVs can provide critical military logistic support. The PALM 400 RPV is launched from a canister and has the ability to loiter (remain on station) over a kill zone for up to 120 minutes while flying at 3,000-4,000 feet above the ground. It has a range of more than 100 kilometers and flies at 50-140 knots (90-260 km/h). Because of these capabilities, the army chose AVision Systems over 21 other companies in a global request for proposals.
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