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India debuts manpack VTOL UAVs for HADR

2nd July 2013 - 13:27 GMT | by Andrew White in London

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Search and rescue agencies operating in Northern India have successfully used man-portable VTOL UAVs for the first time in humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HADR) operations, it has emerged.

Industry sources described to Shephard how the UAVs were used to find survivors of the recent flood and landslide disaster in Uttarakhand State, conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Four Netra VTOL UAVs manufactured by Idea Forge were deployed to Gaurikund before being split into two teams with a ground control station each.

Idea Forge was already in talks with the NDRF to supply a demonstration system when it received the

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Author

Andrew White

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Andrew is a former editor of Digital Battlespace and Unmanned Vehicles magazines. Andrew joined Shephard …

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