Indian Navy’s Searcher Drone Crashes Shortly After Take-off

The Indian Navy’s unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the Southern Naval Command crashed in Kochi.

“The UAV, which was on a routine surveillance sortie, crashed around 10.25 am shortly after take-off. The remotely piloted arcraft failed to attain the expected height and came crashing down,” said an official statement.

There was no casualty or damage to property. The crash took place in the vicinity of HHA tank terminal on the northern side of Willingdon Island, the statement said.

A Board of Inquiry is being constituted to investigate the cause of accident, it said. The crashed aircraft was part of the naval air squadron INS Garuda, which comprises the Israeli aircraft herons and searchers.