The "AURA" is an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) currently under development by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) for probable procurement in the Indian Air Force (IAF). The design is an all-wing concept similar to the Boeing "Phantom Ray" UCAV, featuring a defined triangle frontal section, swept-back wings, a "saw tooth" trailing wing edge and a centralized engine placement, straddled by an internal weapon bay. As an armed UAV (hence its "combat" designation), the AURA is expected to carry a pair of laser-guided bombs or similar (depending on mission scope). The DRDO AURA program is in its very early stages of design with certain aspects of the program still being addressed. Development of the AURA came to be largely due to the lack of interest in global suppliers of UCAVs willing to sell an existing system to the IAF. As such, a home-grown effort was born.
First flight of the system was optimistically planned for some time in 2015 with introduction into service expected in 2020. However, development of the indigenous solution has been slow.
The AURA will make use of many indigenously-designed and fabricated components, allowing the burgeoning Indian aviation industry to become ever-more independent of suppliers from Europe, Russia and the United States. The UAV will follow suit with other similar-class contemporaries and include full autonomy on missions with a data-link package offering hands-on control through ground stations as necessary. DRDO engineers have stated that the AURA will operate up to 30,000 feet and its internal weapons bay may be of the rail-launching type - capable of releasing missiles, laser-guided munitions or conventional drop bombs. Of note is the indigenous route being taken by the Indians in this initiative as much of the technology at play is largely new to the local aviation industry. Regardless, the government and associated participants remain very optimistic that the set project goals will ultimately be met. At any rate, the Aura will become a huge symbol of national pride for the country of 1.2 billion.
The initial prototype was not expected to be ready until 2015 but this came to naught - the technology demonstrator only recently went into the air for the first time in July of 2022.
Released computer drawings showcase a very elegant design forthcoming. A cut-away view envisions a top-mounted intake drawing air into the fuselage-mounted turbofan engine, the engine then exhausting through a horizontal slat-type opening at the rear for reduced radar signatures. The aircraft will further be coated in special radar-absorbing materials being developed within India. DRDO may, at some point, also partner with a European defense power to further the development envelope and bring the Aura online as soon as possible and possible with fewer kinks thanks to a lowered learning curve. At this early stage, however, only the planform of the airframe has been close to its finalized form.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
✓Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.
monoplane / mid-mounted / swept-back
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Mid-Mounted
Mainplanes are mounted along the midway point of the sides of the fuselage.
Swept-Back
The planform features wing sweep back along the leading edges of the mainplane, promoting higher operating speeds.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the base DRDO AURA production variant)
Installed:
1 x Non-Afterburning turbofan engine of unknown make, model, and thrust output.
PROPOSED:
2 x Laser-Guided Bombs held in two internal bays.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
AURA - Project Designation.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
Images Gallery
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Top profile illustration view of the Indian DRDO AURA Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle; www.MilitaryFactory.com
Similar Aircraft
Aviation developments of similar form and function, or related to, the DRDO AURA...
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India (probable)
