| Lakshya PTA | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Target drone |
| Manufacturer | Hindustan Aeronautics Limited |
| Design group | Aeronautical Development Establishment |
| First flight | 1985 |
| Introduction | 9 November 2000 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary user | Indian Army Indian Air Force Indian Navy |
| Produced | 30 |
Lakshya ("Target" in Sanskrit) is a remotely piloted high speed Indian target drone system developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO. A variant Lakshya-1 is used to perform discreet aerial reconnaissance of battlefield and target acquisition.[1][2]
The drone remotely piloted by a ground control station provides realistic towed aerial sub-targets for live fire training. The drone is ground or ship launched from a zero length launcher and recovery is by a two-stage parachute system developed by ADE (DRDO), for land- or sea-based recovery. The drone has a crushable nose cone, which absorbs the impact of landing, minimizing damage. The flight path may be controlled or pre-programmed, based upon the type of mission.
- ^ "Lakshya-1 aircraft successfully test-flown". 23 August 2012.
- ^ "Unmanned: The Future of Air Wars". SP's Aviation. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.