The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to pursue its 'Project Cheetah' under the 'Make in India' initiative Image Courtesy Twitter/Indian Armed Forces
New Delhi: The world’s largest importer of weapons and military equipment, India has been focussing updrading its domestic defence industry and reduce dependency on foreign technology.
In recent years, the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has either curtailed or canceled several major import deals in order to take forward the ‘Make in India’ campaign in the defence sector.
As part of this initiative, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is now planning to pursue its ‘Project Cheetah’ under the ‘Make in India’ campaign. Under this project, Indian defense manufacturers will equip Israeli Heron drones with indigenous strike capabilities.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to equip its existing fleet of Israel-made Heron unmanned ariel vehicles (UAV) drones with better communication facilities and missiles as part of its ambitious ‘Project Cheetah’.
Earlier, Israeli arms manufacturers had been earmarked for this project. However, now the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to take this project forward by developing its own drones through Indian defence firms.
Apart from UAVs or drones with the IAF, the ambitious ‘Project Cheetah’ also aims to upgrade Israeli drones in the Indian Navy and the Indian Army with better strike and surveillance capabilities. These drones are to be equipped with lethal missiles and laser-guided bombs. According to defence officials, ‘Project Cheetah’ is to be implemented under the leadership of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
#WATCH via ANI Multimedia | The Indian Air Force is planning to go ahead with its Project Cheetah under the Make in India route where Indian defence manufacturers would arm the Israeli Heron drones with strike capabilities. https://t.co/Bwj94iowGw
For a long time the Indian armed forces have been dependent on IAF Israel-made Searcher II and Heron UAVs for reconnaissance and espionage purposes. After being revamped under 'Project Cheetah', the Heron will allow the Indian armed forces to get accurate intelligence inputs regarding enemy forces. Apart from this, they will also be made capable of targeting enemy positions from a long distance.
Developing Israeli drones will also enable ground stations to remotely operate these drones and control them through satellite communication systems. As per initial plans, India was planning to acquire 30 US armed drones equipped with strike capability, including long-range missiles, which were to be distributed equally among the three armed services.
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Plans to bring cheetahs to India had begun several years ago. A total of 10 areas in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were monitored from 2010 to 2012
While the Congress was quick to claim credit for project Cheetah and reintroduction of Namibian felines in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park as having being initiated under the UPA government, the party was less than forthcoming on why its project had bombed and tried to shift the blame on the SC
Cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952, but earlier this year an MoU was signed to bring the big cat back to India from Namibia under the Project Cheetah
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