VAYU BAAN PROJECT

NEWS:  Vayu Baan, a pioneering project to develop India’s first helicopter-launched drone system by The Indian Air Force (IAF)

ABOUT

• It is a small, autonomous drone designed to be dropped from a moving helicopter mid-flight.
• Once released, the drone unfolds its wings, activates its propulsion+ operates as either a surveillance asset or a precision-guided munition (kamikaze drone).
• The Vayu Baan (meaning Air Arrow) is an indigenous Air-Launched Effects (ALE) program
• Designed to integrate unmanned aerial systems directly with manned rotary-wing
• Launched By: The project is being led by the IAF’s Directorate of Aerospace Design (DAD).
• The primary goal is to provide stand-off capability, allowing helicopters to identify and destroy enemy targets from a safe distance (over 50 km) without entering the kill zone of enemy man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).

Features:

• Capable of flying over 50 km after being dropped
• Equipped for both high-definition ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) + precision strikes using an onboard warhead.
• Features advanced flight control systems for autonomous waypoint navigation and target tracking.
• Designed to function effectively even in electronic warfare environments where GPS signals are jammed or disabled.
• Integrated with electro-optical+ infrared (EO/IR) sensors for clear day and night operations.
• Provides approximately 30 minutes of loitering time to scout for targets or wait for the optimal strike window.