Golden Hawk
The growing interest in unmanned aircraft systems for use by Indian police and law enforcement agencies is bringing the Home Ministry to evaluate some of the technologies available for paramilitary use.
Indian police forces are expressing interest in deploying mini and micro UAS for years, and some have embarked on experimental evaluation programmes, but only recently the interest was translated into action, with the procurement of the first two systems by the Chandigarh Police.
The first Unmanned Aircraft used by police forces in India is the ‘Golden Hawk’, expected to be followed by the ‘Netra’, both developed by India’s Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). Following the official roll-out with the Chandigarh Police in North-Western India, and training of specialist police teams in operating the new systems, the mini-UAS were used operationally monitoring large rallies and marches, providing bird’s eye view for law enforcement officers, improving situational understanding.
Netra
Netra, a vertically take off and landing UAS that, unlike the Golden Hawk, can also hover, was developed by DRDO Research and Development Establishment (RnDE) lab. Netra can be operated at distances of up to 1.5 km, flying at an altitude of 200 meters and can send live video or thermal imaging via wireless link, to the operator system located several kilometers away. The system was recently tested in Chatisgarh to evaluate its utility to fight Naxal insurgency in these areas. The use of such lightweight hovering platforms seems to better conform with police uses, since its localized, low-level operational envelope better conforms with air traffic limitations.
The private sector in India is embracing the opportunity, offering indigenously developed or imported systems addressing the new police requirements. Following Chandigarh, another unit at Haryana has expressed interest in the mini-UAS, inviting the Bangalore-based Israeli company BlueBird Aerosystems to demonstrate its MicroB, which has been in use by Israel’s security forces for several years.
AIS
Another domestic company specializing in civil applications of small UAS is Aurora Integrated Systems (AIS), vertically integrated specialist company offering UAS and aerostat based aerial sensors applications, including aerial reconnaissance with recordable live video down feed in the events of forest fires, natural calamities and for wildlife monitoring, area mapping, and perimeter surveillance.
Source: Defense Update
Has there been any more elaborate comments – official or not – as to what it would take for the Mumbai police department to use a UAS system? What the intention of use was for? Any push back by spooked out locals, government officials, or business people? What would, in the police department eyes, make it cost effective?
reference: https://www.uasvision.com/2011/05/18/mumbai-police-drop-plans-to-use-uas-for-traffic-surveillance/