HAL CATS Warrior. HAL CATS Warrior is a low observable unmanned combat aerial vehicle and a loyal wingman developed by the Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) under the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The aircraft is a part of the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) programme undertaken by a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the HAL and NewSpace Research and Technologies (NRT), an Indian private startup. In Aero India 2021, a scaled-down mock-up was presented for the first time.

Development 

CATS Warrior is being developed as an autonomous wingman drone also capable of taking off and landing on land and at sea from an aircraft carrier. It will team up with existing and future fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) including Tejas, AMCA, TEDBF, Su-30MKI and Jaguar which will act as its mothership. The CATS Warrior is primarily envisioned for the IAF's use and a similar, smaller version could be designed for the Indian Navy. It will be controlled by the mothership and accomplish tasks such as scouting, absorbing enemy fire, attacking the targets if necessary with its internal and external pylons weapons or sacrifice itself by crashing into the target. 

It will fly back for mission within the combat radius of 350 km and for long range mission with combat radius of 800 km it will sacrifice itself crashing into the target. As an unmanned asset, it can be directed towards a target and sacrificed in case it cannot be flown back to territory. "Warrior will serve as a 'sensor amplifier' for the LCA, flying out ahead of the manned aircraft and using its sensors to feed information back to LCA" HAL test pilot Group Captain H.V. Thakur (retd.).

The scale model of CATS Warrior was first unveiled at Aero India 2021. The Warrior scale model was accompanied by TEJAS-MAX cockpit which acted as a "mothership" for the CATS. 

HAL management approved an internal funding of  for the development as of February 2021. As per Arup Chatterjee, Director of HAL Engineering, Research & Development division the integration with CATS MAX mothership will take 1-2 years and first flights is scheduled for 2024-25.

On 11 January 2025, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited successfully conducted the Engine Ground Run of a Full-Scale Demonstrator of the aircraft. CATS Warrior is one of the flagship programmes of HAL. HAL plans to debut the prototype in public for the first time in Aero India 2025.

Multiple design changes has been brought up in the demonstrator as compared with the scale model, most importantly the air intake. The new design shifted from angular surfaces which prioritised stealth. A report stated that, insread, "the aircraft uses RAM (Radar Absorbent Material) coatings and laminations with over 99% attenuation". These changes were made to enhance the performance while still being low observable. The changes could also increase payload and efficiency.

Design 

It has a composite structure with an internal weapon bay & hybrid design whose front section looks like MQ-28 Ghost Bat wingman & from its mid fuselage to its tail like XQ-58 Valkyrie. It has a single serpentine air intake on the top of its fuselage that leads to its two engines.

It can carry two new-generation short-range or beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles externally, and two DRDO Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) internally in its internal weapon bay.

It will be equipped with an electro-optic/infrared payload, Active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, inertial navigational unit, and a jammer for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and combat operations. The prototype uses an indigenous Mission Computer from SLRDC.

Its exhaust will feature chevron nozzle design like Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to reduce the Jet blast noises & radar emissions.

Engine 
The CATS Warrior employs two modified PTAE-7 engines developed by Aero Engine Research and Development Centre. The original variant of PTAE-7 is used on DRDO Lakshya target drone. The modified engine, designated PTAE-W, is a single-shaft, lightweight turbojet engine. The engine measures is 1.27 meters in length, 330 mm in diameter, and weighs 65 kg. The engine core includes a four-stage transonic axial compressor, single-stage turbine, annular flow combustion chamber, and 16 fuel flow burners. The engine variant also features a new FADEC system and an enhanced time between overhauls (TBO) of 1,000 hours with a thrust output of  and a specific fuel consumption of 1.15 kg/kg.f/hr.

Specifications

See also 

Boeing Airpower Teaming System
List of unmanned aerial vehicles
Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie

References 

Unmanned military aircraft of India
HAL aircraft
Unmanned stealth aircraft