Indian armed forces use the third eye 'Netra' to counter naxals

A Tohi plane that resembles the one that was used in the Aamir Khan blockbuster—3 Idiots, is going to give naxals in Bijapur area sleepless nights. CRPF has used this plane to conduct atleast half-a-dozen operations already. The 'Netra' plane that weighs just one-and-a-half kilos uses four propellers to remain airborne. It has high-resolution cameras and state-of-the-art thermal sensors. And the armed forces can use it to keep an eye on a one-and-a-half kilometre radius even in the dark. After a hugely successful stint in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand CRPF too has proposed to add Netra to its arsenal.

A bigger, Israeli UAV is being put to good use in the naxal-infested area for the past 6 months. And to help CRPF in its covert ops, DRDO Pune developed the light-weight Netra three months back. It was used during the two-day long anti-naxal operations in Bijapur. Chhattisgarh CRPF is in possession of six Netras currently.

Senior officials who are connected with the operation says the light-weight crft can be easily maoeuvred over a kilometre and a half. The controls are so easy that jawans can use it even when on the move.

The thermal cameras and hi-res image catchers can relay pictures real-time. The images that can be monitored are helping track naxal movements and hideouts easily.

IIT Bombay students had created a prototype of the mini UAV in 2008, much before the movie 3 Idiots came out. It was exhibited in an exhinition in Pune, where DRDO bigwigs were impressed with the idea. The research wing made subtle changes to the prototype and improvised and tested it over a 6-month long period. Then it was handed over to the armed forces for testing.

Salient features of Netra —
> Barely weighs 1.5 kgs.
> Easy to fly, easy to control, even has an auto-pilot mode.
> Crystal clear pictures even from a height of under 2 kilometres.
> High resolution cameras allow panning and zooming of images.
> Thermal cameras for night vision.
> Returns to station automatically when battery runs low.
> Can be used even during inclement weather and rain.

Source:DailyBhaskar