Drone technology from Hyderabad: India’s first dual-stealth drone to evade radar and infrared

According to a report by Asian Military Review, two technology companies from Hyderabad have jointly developed India’s first dual-stealth drone. The core of this drone technology is the innovative camouflage material RAMA (Radar Absorption & Multispectral Adaptive) from Veera Dynamics, which is intended to let the platform evade both radar and infrared sensors.

Drone technology with nano-coating

Based on nanotechnology, RAMA can be applied like paint or used as a coating. Radar waves are absorbed and converted into heat, which is emitted in a controlled way; the vehicle’s signature thus adapts to its surroundings. In initial tests the IR signature fell by 97 per cent, while radar absorption exceeded 90 per cent.

Together with Binford Research Labs, the system was integrated into drones that the Indian Army recently trialled. They are intended above all for environments in which GPS and radio links are jammed. Asian Military Review quotes Binford founder Sidhanth Jain as saying: “Our drones with RAMA reduce the enemy’s window to react to almost zero.”

The Indian Ministry of Defence is funding the project through the iDEX programme (Innovations for Defence Excellence), with support from IIT Hyderabad. India is thus sending a clear signal towards multispectral camouflage technology for military operations.