Delhi police will soon be using Netra UAV (QuadCopter), an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) worth Rs35 lakh, which has been manufactured by Defence, Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with ideaforge. Netra UAV will be used for the surveillance during VVIP functions, law and order situations and for traffic watch.
Special Commissioner (law and Order) Deepak Mishra has forwarded a letter to purchase two such Netra UAVs for the use of Delhi Police.
“The necessary process be initiated for obtaining two number of Netra UAV for use in Delhi Police. The process may be initiated by Joint CP/GA through DCP/OPl as per regular procedures,” stated the letter. From the same letter it had emerged out that Delhi Police will soon use the UAVs as Special CP has asked for its early approval as stated, “May please be approved so that we may procure ASAP.”
Netra UAVs were used by Delhi Police in a pilot activity and was tested by them on different occasions including 15 August 2015, Chhath Puja and Muharram. Delhi police have further stated that these Netra UAVs will prove extremely effective in riot-hit areas as they have tried it in North-East district.
“Netra UAV has a line-of-Sight (lOS) range of about four kilometres and one-time flight duration of 40 minutes,” underlined the letter. It was also stated that these UAVs will have a facility of mounting normal as well as night vision cameras. Furthermore, they have another facility of locking on to a particular vehicle/target on flight and “back-to-home” feature in the event of loss of connection.
“As curtained, the company manufacturing the instrument on behalf of DRDO will be able to give a Proprietary Certificate. The rough cost estimate of one instrument is about Rs35 lakh,” revealed the letter. “The process for the purchase of the UAV can be initiated by making a correspondence to DRDO,” asserted the letter.