NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy is investigating the second crash in 18 months involving the Drishti-10 Starliner, a locally built surveillance drone based on Israel’s Hermes 900 platform, raising fresh questions over the aircraft’s reliability.
The unmanned aerial vehicle crashed earlier this month during a routine training sortie shortly after taking off from the Naval Air Enclave in Porbandar in Gujarat. The drone came down in an open field near Dharampur village, around six kilometres from the coastal city.
The Indian Navy said no injuries or loss of life were reported on the ground.
“The cause of the incident is being investigated,” the service said, adding that a board of inquiry had been ordered.
Investigators are expected to examine whether the crash was caused by a technical malfunction or loss of communication link.
The accident comes as the Indian Navy plans to acquire 10 additional Drishti-10 drones to strengthen surveillance across the Indian Ocean Region.
The Drishti-10 is manufactured in India by Adani Defence and Aerospace under a licensing agreement with Israel’s Elbit Systems. It is the Indian version of the Hermes 900, a medium-altitude, long-endurance surveillance drone.
The previous accident occurred in January last year, also near Porbandar, when a Drishti-10 crashed into the Arabian Sea during pre-acceptance trials after reportedly losing its communications link.
The drone can remain airborne for up to 36 hours, carry payloads of 450 kilograms and operate at altitudes of 30,000 feet.
