AURA-Unmanned Combat Aircraft
The Plan of designing a unmanned stealth combat aircraft begins early 2007, with the induction time line of 2020, and the first prototype planned by 2015, while the early designated time frames passed and no clear progress about the UCAV, the project was frozen during the past years. It's just emerged that DRDO in steps to design the frozen projects like UCAV and the MIRV developments.
Aura means Autonomous unmanned Research vehicle the name of the Unmanned combat Aircraft Project. while the countries like Russia, America France and England also draws a Line to develop a unmanned combat aircraft early 2007, the same year that India too announced. BAE England comes with Taranis Subsonic UAV. French Dassult comes with nEUROn UCAV, and Americans comes with X 47 B. where Americans started the project much earlier than others and almost evaluated most testing parameters and they are just a meters away from the Inductions. only the Indians and Russians didn't showed up their prototype till now. even reports said the Russian MiG skat ucav project is dead.
It's just been released that India restarted the AURA project, as per Initial design AURA intend to perform deep strike missions with heavy load of PGM's weights more than Two tons, which means a bigger size of internal weapon bay Holding two one Ton PGM's for precession strike and perform operations deep behind enemy lines, with the help of stealth achieved by RAM coating it can be easily fly enemy airspace without being detected by enemy Radars.
Most of the other Euro American counterparts strategy is also same with these kind of UCAV for special strike only, where armed UAV's like Reapers from west and Rustom from from India all comes for close Support missions, comes with low payload anti armour missiles, but the AURA can perform deep strike mission wih more payload, Just like a courier deliveryman without any traces, He can deliver the package within some 1000 km radius then come back to base and he can repeat the action 24x7. without risking any Human Lives.
Unlike Fighters, UAV need more operators and support crew for Landing assisting flight performance and Navigation, needs large number of crews to operates a Single UCAV. as per DRDO inputs the UCAV can capable to fly at the heights of 30,000 feet and Maximum take off weight estimated 15 tons.
As per the concept are the UCAV is lack of good maneuverability which can allow the fighter to fight against enemy Fighter Jets and land based SAM units. but the future version can comes with good maneuverability, since DRDO's first effort of making UCAV to world standard.
The DRDO partnered with ADA and HAL makes the first prototype of AURA, since the project is close guarded secret the Correct time line and informations are not yet available on the Public, except the above informations. if the program gives first prototype by next two to three years, it's be sure that IAF can induct those unmanned fighters before 2025.