HAL CATS Warrior

CATS Warrior
Full scale demonstrator
Role Unmanned combat aerial vehicle (loyal wingman)
National origin India
Design group Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
First flight 2025 (planned)
Status Prototype testing
Primary users Indian Air Force (intended)
Indian Navy (intended)

HAL CATS Warrior is an 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.[1][2]

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.[3] 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.[4] "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.).[5]

HAL management approved an internal funding of ₹390 crore (equivalent to ₹438 crore or US$51 million in 2023) 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.[6]

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.[7] HAL plans to debut the prototype in public for the first time in Aero India 2025.[8][2]

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.[4]

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.[9]

SAAW in warrior's internal bay & NG-CCM.[a]

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.[10] The prototype uses an indigenous Mission Computer from SLRDC and a power plant developed by AERDC (HAL HTFE-25).[8]

HTFE-25 turbofan engine

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

F35 chevron exhaust
CATS Warrior wingman model with chevron exhaust at Aero India 2021

Specifications

A sketch of the initial CATS Warrior design showcased at Aero India 2021.

General characteristics

  • Length: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,100 kg (4,630 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × HAL HTFE-25 turbofan

Performance

  • Maximum speed: Mach 0.9
  • Cruise speed: 790 km/h (490 mph, 430 kn)
  • Range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi)
  • Combat range: 700 km (430 mi, 380 nmi)

Armament

See also

References

  1. ^ "HAL's futuristic, deadly CATS to be battle-ready by 2024-25". The New Indian Express. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b "CATS Warrior: HAL completes key test of loyal wingman for deep-strike ops". Business Standard. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Strikes from 700km away to drones replacing mules for ration at 15,000ft, India gears up for unmanned warfare - India News". indiatoday.in. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b "CATS – Combat Air Teaming System". Alpha Defense. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Aero India 2021: HAL's loyal wingmen break cover". janes.com. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  6. ^ "HAL Earmarks $53.5 Million Investment in CATS Warrior Stealth Drone Project". Defense World. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  7. ^ @HALHQBLR (11 January 2025). "The flagship program of HAL, Combat Air Teaming System achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting the Engine Ground Run of a Full-Scale Demonstrator, CATS - Warrior" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 January 2025 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ a b C.S, Hemanth (12 January 2025). "HAL's latest Combat Air Teaming System completes crucial test ahead of upcoming Aero India". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  9. ^ "HAL unveils ambitious air-teaming system centred on Tejas | News". Flight Global. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  10. ^ "HAL Earmarks $53.5 Million Investment in CATS Warrior Stealth Drone Project". defenseworld.net. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  11. ^ "HAL's unique deep penetration attack system for fighter pilots to be developed by 2024-25". The New Indian Express. ENN. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  1. ^ The transparent place in the picture is not it's sideway weapon bay, its only a mean to see its internal weapon configuration in HAL warrior model at Aero India. The weapons will be stored internally in center of warrior's body not on its side.