‘Made in Kerala’ drone for Indian Army with 54 km/h speed, 45-minute endurance, 4K imaging

Kochi: Thirty drones deployed in critical sectors by the Indian Army are all ‘Made in Kerala’. The Kerala-based company, Axel Drone, has developed these drones under the name Axel Peregrine, named after the peregrine falcon, the fastest bird in the world.

These drones can operate in temperatures ranging from zero to 40 degrees Celsius. They can reach speeds of up to 54 km/h, fly continuously for 45 minutes, and hover in place for up to 50 minutes. The infrared thermal camera captures footage in 4K resolution.

Optical zoom is possible up to six times. The drones can be controlled from a distance of 10 kilometres. The total weight, including the battery, is 2.3 kg. All components, including software, are manufactured in Kerala.

The company began operations in 2019 with an R&D division at Kalamassery Infopark, a manufacturing unit at Vadakkencherry, Palakkad, and a software development team at U L Cyberpark in Kozhikode.

The CEO of Axel is Jo Kuncheriyan, a Palakkad native and American IT entrepreneur, and Robin Zacharias serves as managing director.

According to Axel director P J Joseph, research is underway to control four drones simultaneously via laptop and to extend battery life. Senior Consultant Abdul Noushad added that the company is preparing the next phase of projects for the Army.