3 Idiots UAV attracts eyeballs at DefExpo

An unmanned aerial vehicle that featured in the Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots has been drawing considerable eyeballs at the DefExpo 2010 land and naval systems exhibition in New Delhi.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that featured in the Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots has been drawing considerable eyeballs at the DefExpo 2010 land and naval systems exhibition New Delhi.

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Visitors were mesmerized by a small bird like object hovering 50 metres above the ground and beaming down video footage of the surroundings. With Thursday, the concluding day of the exhibition, being open to the public, it was a delight for those who had never seen such an object flying and many captured the moment on their cameras.

"It was the same Netra that flew in the movie," said Amardeep Singh, vice president (Marketing and Operations) of ideaForge Technology that has manufactured the UAV. It costs around Rs.20 lakh and can scan an area of 1.5 km.

"We have designed this in association with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). We plan to sell it to the police and private security agencies," Singh told IANS.

The DRDO too showcased its lightweight UAVs at the exhibition.

"We are developing small UAVs weighing around 300 gm to 500 gm," a DRDO official said.

Also on display was the DRDO's Nishant UAV that the Indian Army uses for reconnaissance purposes.

"We have so far delivered four UAVs to the army. Eight more will be delivered soon," the DRDO official said.

A cockpit simulator of the Eurofighter Typhoon combat jet was another hit among the visitors.

"I felt that I was really flying a fighter aircraft," said a woman visitor.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the six contenders for an Indian Air Force order for 126 aircraft in a deal valued at $12 billion.