![]() Rustom-2 prototype AF-6 was crashed on 17 September 2019 due to link loss with the ground station that activated 'return home mode' but rough turbulence beyond the capacity of control law made the platform unstable. #THE BATTLE CATS WIKI TAPAS DESERT TRIAL#Ĭombat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) successfully conducted low speed and high speed taxi trial of Tricycle Nose Wheel Type Retractable Landing Gear System for Rustom-2 at Chitradurga on 2 August 2018. When a target is identified, it will either illuminate the target with a laser designator for other strike aircraft, or descend to lower altitude and attack the target with its own air-to-surface missiles. The drone can loiter autonomously at high altitudes performing real-time, high-resolution intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) with its SAR and EO sensors. Rustom-II has a cruising speed of 135 kt carrying 350 kg of payload. Initially 1,800 kg was planned but the prototypes are weighing 2,200 kg. With an overall length of 9.5 m and a wingspan of more than 20.6 m, the UCAV needs a runway to takeoff and land unlike traditional UAVs. The platform is now being developed as a long endurance surveillance platform capable of deploying precision weapons. ADE is also trying to decrease weight of Rustom-II by 260 kg. ĭuring the test phase, five additional prototypes were manufactured close to production variant powered by twin NPO-Saturn 36MT turboprop engines rated 74.57 kW (100 hp). In the meantime, Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) and Tech Mahindra started working on an indigenous engine for Rustom-II. ADE was also planning to use 200 hp power plant from Lycoming Engines to improve power-to-weight ratio. Although it was reported that from prototype AF-5, ADE replaced 125 hp Rotax 914 with 180 hp engine from Austro. There was news of Rustom-II using power plant of Austro Engine but no confirmation from DRDO side considering a Chinese company Wanfeng Auto Holding Group acquired it through Diamond Aircraft Industries in 2016. Nine prototypes more advanced than the initial one would follow for testing prior to the beginning of certification process. Ten pilotless UAV's would be produced in one year. It was tested for take off, landing and other parameters. TAPAS-BH-201 had a successful maiden flight on 16 November 2016 at Challakere, 200 km away from Bengaluru in the district of Chitradurga in south Indian state of Karnataka. Once inducted, this indigenous medium altitude long endurance (MALE) multirole drone is likely to be an asset for Indian armed forces for its surveillance capability as well as for its use as an unmanned armed combat vehicle. It would carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles for all the three armed forces in India. #THE BATTLE CATS WIKI TAPAS DESERT FULL#In September 2013, the Rustom-II began full power taxi trials at the Kolar airfield near Bengaluru. The project started at the cost of ₹1,540.74 crore but later revised to ₹1,786 crore as of 2022. It has a satellite communication link to relay situation in the battle theatre on real time basis. Rustom-2 is capable of carrying different combinations of payloads depending on the mission objectives including electronic intelligence systems and situational awareness systems. In contrast to Rustom-I, the next generation version is equipped with enhanced aerodynamic configuration, digital flight control, navigation system, communication intelligence, medium and long-range electro-optic payloads and synthetic aperture radar that will enable it to see through the clouds. In February 2012, ADE Director P S Krishnan stated that designing of Rustom-II has been completed, purchase orders have been placed and we are on schedule to fly for the first time in February 2014. It will have a great deal of mission flexibility. The way the Americans converted a robust surveillance drone into a combat drone is something we are confident we can replicate for the Rustom-H. DRDO built a credible unmanned flying platform. In October, 2010 a senior DRDO official had stated that the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an obvious template for the Rustom program. ![]()
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