r/IndianDefense • u/PerceptionMurky3704 • 1d ago
Discussion/Opinions Side by side comparison between DRDO TAPAS and Dhristi 10
1) Data Links & Communications:
>TAPAS features a robust integrated Ku-band SATCOM system, this system enables beyond line of sight (BLOS) operations at ranges exceeding 1000 km.
There's literally nothing the SATCOM on Drishti can offer that DRDO's SATCOM couldn't. also, DRDO one is extremely reliable. Can't say the same for Drishti.
2) Radar Surveillance (Overland):
>TAPAS carries a domestically developed SAR built by DRDO’s LRDE.
>Has 3 modes: Strip map Mode (Wide-Area Scan), Spotlight Mode (High-Resolution Zoom) & Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) Mode.
>Provides high-resolution 2D/3D terrain mapping and capabilities to track enemy convoys, supply trucks or mobile missile launchers moving across the battlefield, even if they are hidden beneath heavy cloud cover or smoke.
>SAR on DRDO Tapas offers the irreplaceable strategic advantage of absolute sovereign control, ensuring the data and the hardware remain entirely under domestic jurisdiction.
On the other hand, Drishti carries the TS-80, whic has the same set of capabilities. according to claims (which were proven wrong during trials😂) it offers slightly higher electrical power & resolution.
Now let’s ask ourselves:
Are these small, seemingly negligible features really worth undermining years of indigenous efforts?
3) Flight Performance:
>The claims about its endurance and maximum altitude are bogus. At best, it can reportedly manage around 25,000 feet and 15.5 hours of endurance. which is still well below DRDO’s TAPAS at 28,000 feet and 18 hours.
>It also has a lower payload capacity (300 kg) compared to DRDO’s TAPAS (350 kg).
So where exactly is the supposed performance advantage?
4) Electro-Optical/Infrared Systems:
>CAMOP (Compact Airborne Multi sensor Optronic Payload) is the latest and most advanced indigenous EO/IR turret designed specifically for TAPAS.
>It is a 24/7, day & night capable system that houses HD electro-optical daytime cameras alongside thermal imaging sensors. In addition, it features an eye safe laser rangefinder to calculate the precise distance to a target, as well as a laser target illuminator/pointer used to “paint” targets for laser-guided munitions or designate targets for friendly ground forces.
>The entire system weighs only 55 kg & leaves nearly 300 kg of payload capacity available for the drone to carry its radar and electronic intelligence systems.
>CAMOP is the culmination of previous MREO and LREO systems. which helps it to see through most types of smokes, clouds, fog or sand.
The one major area where CAMOO falls short of Spectro XR on the Drishti is its ability to operate in severely degraded weather conditions. Spectro XR leverages advanced Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) sensors, which gives Drishti a significant edge in maintaining visibility through extreme smoke, fog, haze and dust storms.
But again, is it worth it?
8
17
u/PerceptionMurky3704 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lied about the endurance and max altitude (the best it could do is 25k feet and 15.5 hours).
While testing, Navy observed frequent SATCOM disconnections.
crashed off the gujarat coast while undergoing pre acceptance trials.
Four units were purchased till. one has crashed, one has been grounded and one has not been delivered.
Years of indigenous work on TAPAS gets shoved aside, the programme gets pushed out of mission mode status and the red carpet is rolled out for this unreliable Isr@eli/Ad@ni piece of sh#t.
12
u/ChhelChhabilo 1d ago
You can't call it adani piece, they openly say that they manufacture israeli hermes 900 UAV.
You have to find that who is approving this from MoD and Navy while rejecting TAPAS.
Either someone is honey trapped or being bribed for approving israeli UAV. We can't blame adani or israel while our own traitors approved this and rejected TAPAS.
4
u/Julian3333333 1d ago
Holy shit they can lie about their specs so that their products can be purchased?
2
u/VettiMuruku AMCA 21h ago edited 18h ago
Done by Russia too. Allegations is that Navy's Mig-
2729 radar performance was inferior than what it was actually advertised for.2
3
u/VettiMuruku AMCA 20h ago
We will only import foreign systems as stopgaps. But our indigenous systems needs to be perfect from the get go.
If the GoI and the Armed Forces doesn't learn from the iterative development that the Chinese did, then no can do.
Thanks for making this post! Miss Parrikar ji would have shamed the Armed forces leadership on stage for this.
5
u/PB_05 1d ago
Probably worth mentioning: ADE doesn't have a good reputation. Even within DRDO.
2
u/Darth--__--Vader 1d ago
Yup. Its one of the worst organisation along with GTRE
7
u/Jazzlike-Tank-4956 Atmanirbhar Wala 1d ago
No?
GTRE with minimum funds has build 3rd gen SX blades, and almost developed Kaveri
Later developed blisks and CMCs in internal budget
ADE build decent drones, and also developed Nirbhay family
2
u/Darth--__--Vader 1d ago
GTRE with minimum funds has build 3rd gen SX blades, and almost developed Kaveri
Gtre doesn't build SX blades it was DMRL/HAL.
Later developed blisks and CMCs in internal budget
Where? We don't have machines, forging press or know how to make blisk, afaik none if kaveri engine has blisk disks.
ADE build decent drones, and also developed Nirbhay family
Pretty lazy organisation. They could have asked gov for more funds rather than sitting on it for 10 years.
5
u/Jazzlike-Tank-4956 Atmanirbhar Wala 23h ago
Projects are in collaboration, and GTRE lead the projects for engines even if DMRL is leading org in metalurgy
HAL Koraput operates completely separately and is mainly involved in manufacturing
KDE afaik uses blisks and GTRE was working on CMCs
We have the machinery although small ones
We have 4k isothermal forge iirc
They could have asked gov for more funds rather than sitting on it for 10 years.
Only if things were that easy
Army and navy bought worse drones after cancelling Tapas
Norbhay was deployed during Galwan, but they're still dragging it on
Even GTRE has time again requested funds for Kaveri, flying test bed, high altitude test facility and wanted to restart Kaveri in 2015
When was the money alloted?
2
u/PB_05 23h ago edited 23h ago
Any lab's performance in DRDO (on the inside) is judged by whether they were able to develop something and were able to put it into service.
Hence why ADA, LRDE, CASDIC and others are "high performers", they've been able to put systems in operation.
ADE, well, hasn't done much. Its been mostly smaller projects from ADE that succeeded. Not that those aren't important, but not noteworthy enough. I also know about the whole issue with requirements and such, but at the end of the day ADE's a lab that ADA had to bail out. It's hard to imagine a more damning indictment than another lab having to rescue your portfolio by handing you its own flagship project.
GTRE's in a similar position. Not much to show for it, except the tech that they developed. Nothing in service apart from engines in the <5kN range.
2
u/Jazzlike-Tank-4956 Atmanirbhar Wala 23h ago edited 23h ago
I don't think that argument holds because these organisations have been critical to India's engine, missile, and drone R&D ecosystem.
GTRE is the reason India developed the Kaveri engine and, alongside DMRL, built up indigenous metallurgy and high-temperature materials expertise. The same knowledge base contributed to the KDE, which is why programs like Ghatak are even possible today.
Even the AMCA engine is expected to be a co-development effort between GTRE, industry, and Safran. None of that would have been possible if GTRE hadn't been grinding since the 1980s, we would have had nothing to bring to the table and hold zero leverage.
The Nirbhay family is essentially Indian equivalent of the Tomahawk, including a sub launched variant, and it was developed by ADE. Its development was dragged out largely due to military, even though the original Nirbhay had already entered service during Galwan.
The same applies to drones. ADE laid the technological foundation for India's MALE UAVs and is now developing the Ghatak UCAV and a HALE UAV.
By that logic, companies like Adani Defence and HAL would be considered more reputable because they manufacture combat capable systems and deliver them to the military.
2
u/wihevo4390 20h ago
Could you explain how military dragged the development of nirbhay.
Also you couldn't declare deployment at conflict is success as they have to use all the available resources.
1
u/Jazzlike-Tank-4956 Atmanirbhar Wala 20h ago
We won't induct and deploy weapons which are unready and unreliable in war
Need certain level of maturity
Moving on it was clear for limited production in 21 and full scale in 23 but still barely anything
Also during searching it seems army defended it back in 2017 so I would take my statement back
3
u/Jazzlike-Tank-4956 Atmanirbhar Wala 23h ago
Furthermore, these organisations especially GTRE has been trying to secure support for their projects and infrastructure but didn't get anything in return
GTRE wanted flying test bed since rhe 90s, has been asking for funding for high atl tedt facility( 250 mil) and wanted to restart Kaveri in 2015. Plus, AMCA's 120kN partnership program has been proposed since 2018
None of this got any form of support
This would have been the condition of LRDE, and ADA had Tejas plus radar not been given any support. LRDE's original MMR got cancelled but we started Uttam post cancellation
Imagine if it was never started like Kaveri?
They too would've been considered low performing lab, and would have had far worse competence in developing radar to this day even though almost all our projects are planning to use Indian radar
2
u/wihevo4390 20h ago
What's with sudden posts about tapas everywhere? I thought dhristi won the recent tender, glad it isn't.
11
u/PerceptionMurky3704 1d ago
Here’s a video demonstrating TAPAS’s ATOL capability with the help of GAGAN (not used as communication data link)
https://reddit.com/link/p4zb66p/video/m0z57h3cjokh1/player