Aero India 2019 gears up with the launch of 'Drone Olympics'

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a newly designed web page here today for ‘Drone Olympics’ (https://aeroindia.gov.in/Drone), scheduled to be held at Aero India – 2019 at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The web page is open for registration of UAV players interested in taking part in the maiden event of the Aero India.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), it will not only encourage the UAV manufacturing in the country but also provide an opportunity to the Armed Forces to assess the capabilities that exist in the world. The UAV market is one of the fastest growing fields in the world. Role of UAVs in defence sector is ever-increasing covering the critical areas like intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare and strike missions.

‘Drone Olympics’ is open to both Indian and international players. Three categories of the event, planned during the competition are Surveillance Challenge with four sub-categories which will determine the surveillance capability of the UAVs. Supply Drop Challenge to assess weight dropping capability and Formation Flying Challenge demonstrating different shapes with group of UAVs. The winners will be honoured with medals and a cash prize of Rs. 38 lakhs to top three winners of each competition. Last date of registration to participate in event is January 26, 2019.