New Delhi: In the wake of recent standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the Indian Army has been provided special made-in-India drone by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), named Bharat, has been developed by Chandigarh-based laboratory of the DRDO.

The drone touted by the developers to be one of the ‘world’s most agile and lightest surveillance drones’, the UAV has been developed fully indigenously by the DRDO. According to DRDO sources cited by a news agency, the “small yet powerful drone works autonomously at any location with great accuracy. The unibody biometric design with advance release technology is a lethal combination for surveillance missions”.

It is equipped with artificial intelligence to detect friends and foes and then respond accordingly. Capable of surviving in extreme cold, the surveillance equipment has been developed keeping in mind extreme weather conditions along the LAC.

The drone also provides real-time video transmission during the mission and can even detect humans hidden under deep forest covers. The drone has also been equipped with night vision capabilities and its stealthy design ensures that its signature remains undetected from enemy radars.

“The Indian Army requires drones for accurate surveillance in the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Ladakh area. For this requirement, the DRDO has provided the Bharat drones to it,” a defence source was quoted as saying in the agency report.

In view of the Chinese aggression along the LAC, most recently, the defence ministry enhanced the financial powers of military generals to ensure the quicker acquisition of critical military hardware.