An Indian-promoted aviation company in New Zealand is developing what it claims to be the world’s first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for cloud seeding.
Auckland-based Apeiron Aerospace, an innovative aerospace company focused on delivering technology to the global UAV sector, has designed a tactical UAV system for cloud seeding as the existing process involving manned aircraft endangers the lives of pilots.
“There is a need for UAVs for cloud seeding. It is a question of pilot’s life. It becomes very difficult to control the aircraft in high turbulence,” Sanjeev Rao, director, Apeiron Aerospace, said in Hyderabad on March 28.
The firm floated by him exhibited its model at the India Aviation 2012 held in the Andhra Pradesh Capital last month and displayed its variants for the military at the Defexpo-2012 held in Delhi from March 29.
Apeiron, which has tied up with Bangalore-based Krishi Air Private Limited, believes that there is a market for such UAVs in India.
“Manned aircraft are being used for cloud seeding. The pilot has to agree to go into the clouds, which is very dangerous. Usually they do not want to go,” Mr Rao said and claimed that the design exhibited at the air show was a robust one.
“The UAV can fly into the cloud, do the seeding and fly out,” he said.
The design was prepared six months ago, but a prototype is expected to be ready in another six to eight months. It will then be flight-tested.
Besides India, Apeiron Aerospace is looking at other Asian, European, American and Australian markets.
The company is also developing variants of tactical UAV system, which can be used for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Mr Rao said there is a huge market for UAVs in India, especially the military.
“The army, coast guard and the Navy need UAVs. There is definitely a market in India and I am hopeful that we will be able to strike a deal.”
He said unlike US and Europe, India had fewer UAVs but there was high demand. He hoped that regulations would be relaxed to facilitate the growth of the UAV sector.
The price of Apeiron-manufactured UAV ranges from US$ 500,000 to US$ 750,000, based on the requirement, endurance, range and propulsion.
The Apeiron UAV system, which includes both hand-launched and rapid response, can be used for pipeline and agriculture monitoring, search and rescue, border and maritime patrol besides meteorological research and practice and defence.
