New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday said that the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) had conducted a flight demonstration of its controlled aerial delivery system having the capability to deliver 500 kg of payload (abbreviated as CADS-500) on December 18.

In a statement, the DRDO said that the flight demonstration, which was conducted at Agra in Uttar Pradesh using an AN-32 aircraft, is part of a series of activities organised towards celebrating 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', commemorating 75 years of independence of India.

"System performance was demonstrated at Drop Zone, Malpura from an altitude of 5000m. The system was para-dropped from AN32 aircraft and then steered to the predesignated landing point in autonomous mode. Eleven paratroopers of Indian Army and Indian Air Force chased the CADS-500 in air and landed simultaneously," the Defence Ministry said in a release.

What Is CADS-500 And Why Is It Important For The Indian Defence Sector?

The CADS-500 will help the Indian Armed Forces deliver a payload of 500 kg "at a predetermined location by making use of manoeuvrable capabilities of Ram Air Parachute (RAP)". As per the DRDO, the CADS-500 uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) for the coordinates, altitude and heading sensors for the heading information during its flight.

"The CADS, with its onboard electronics unit, autonomously steers its flight path using waypoint navigation towards target location by operating controls," the Defence Ministry release said.

What Is ADRDE And What Is Its Role?

The ADRDE or the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment is a research and development (R&D) lab of the DRDO that is located in Uttar Pradesh's Agra. It is involved in the development of paratrooper parachute systems, aircrew parachute systems, ammunition parachute systems, brake parachute, recovery parachute systems, aerial delivery parachute systems, heavy drop systems, inflatable systems, airship technologies and aircraft arrester barrier systems.

Currently, it is involved in projects such as armament delivery parachutes, balloon barrage and surveillance systems, airships and related applications and space recovery parachutes.