India developing aerial vehicle similar to American Predator drone

[sudhir007]

India developing aerial vehicle similar to American Predator drone - India - DNA

India is developing an umanned aerial vehicle (UAV) similar to American Predator drones with an investment of Rs1,500 crore and planning an unmanned combat vehicles, a key official involved in the project said on Monday.

UAV Rustom-2 project is spread over 66 months, Director of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and said in Bangalore.

Rustom-2 would have a wing-span of 21-odd metres and an endurance of 24-hours-plus, as against seven-odd metres and 12-15 hours of Rustom-1, which has already completed five flights. ADE is the nodal lab for these projects.

Rustom-2 would have new payloads such as synthetic aperture radar, maritime patrol radar and collision avoidance system, among others, he said.

"With its capability and the amount of payload it can carry, it (Rustom-2) compares well with (American) Predator (drones) and other class of vehicles," Krishnan said.

The Predator is a nickname given to one in a series of UAVs, or pilotless drones, operated by the Pentagon, the CIA and, increasingly, other agencies of the US federal government such as the border patrol.

Asked if India is also developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles, he said "we are thinking of that one. Some plans will be there".

 

[perplexed]

LOL ! What delusional crap. Rustom 1 is not even ready forget about rustom 2. And this article even dares to compare the proposed Rustom2 with Today's Predators. Height of non sense....

And by any stretch of imagination, even if the rustom2 fructifies, by that time the predator would have evolved. This drama of comparing a day dream to a polished product would never end. !!

IMO, just show us one product which is completed ahead of schedule without big mouth non -sense, then we can even think of reading such half a$$ed articles...

 

[OrionHunter]

Rustom-2 would have new payloads such as synthetic aperture radar, maritime patrol radar and collision avoidance system, among others, he said.

I didn't see no mention of missiles? Predator drones carry cameras and other sensors but have been modified and upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other munitions.

Does Rustom carry any offensive weapons? No! So how can it be compared to the Predator? And then seeing the efficiency of DRDO's projects, this one may be ready not before 2345!!

And why the heck would it be equipped with a collision avoidance system? Colliding with what? Air India planes I guess!! Jeeez!

 

[sathya]

lets add something to rustom 1...
then we ll talk about rustom 2..
(seems certain section of rustom -1 have finished thier job and moved onto rustom2 )

just like taking about Lca 2, only worse..

 

[Thundersword]

The writer must be refering to the AURA program...... the AURA program was the UCAV program for India not some Rustom-2...... where do people get these ideas from???

for info on aura: AURA UCAV - a knol by Vijainder K Thakur

 

[Bl[i]tZ]

 

[rajnikant]

on the topic...its a dream ..though its good to have one..bt not while working. DRDO should not talk first and then start work it should have been other way round...

 

[Omega007]

To members,
Is it too hard to mount a nose mounted optronics turret with a panoramic camera,a FLIR and a laser range finder on the existing Rustom prototype??I mean,come on!!most of the techs like high speed secure datalink,ground control stations,satcom,automatic piloting and navigation(through Nishant UAV),optronics(through LCH),composite tech have already been developed and validated.Will it be too hard to modify the existing prototype to carry two Helina ATGMs with a nose mounted optronics turret(similar to ALH Rudra and LCH)??

 

[Kinetic]

LOL ! What delusional crap. Rustom 1 is not even ready forget about rustom 2. And this article even dares to compare the proposed Rustom2 with Today's Predators. Height of non sense....

And by any stretch of imagination, even if the rustom2 fructifies, by that time the predator would have evolved. This drama of comparing a day dream to a polished product would never end. !!

IMO, just show us one product which is completed ahead of schedule without big mouth non -sense, then we can even think of reading such half a$$ed articles...

lets add something to rustom 1...
then we ll talk about rustom 2..
(seems certain section of rustom -1 have finished thier job and moved onto rustom2 )

just like taking about Lca 2, only worse..

Rustom-2 or Rustom-H is not an advanced version of Rustom-1 but a different project al together. Rustom-H project is as old as Rustom-1. Both are going on in parallel for different requirements. If you do not know what is wrong in asking before starting to bash?

just show us one product which is completed ahead of schedule without big mouth non -sense, then we can even think of reading such half a$$ed articles...

There is not a single complex system that has completed ahead of schedule in entire world, forget India.

 

[Kinetic]

To members,
Is it too hard to mount a nose mounted optronics turret with a panoramic camera,a FLIR and a laser range finder on the existing Rustom prototype??I mean,come on!!most of the techs like high speed secure datalink,ground control stations,satcom,automatic piloting and navigation(through Nishant UAV),optronics(through LCH),composite tech have already been developed and validated.Will it be too hard to modify the existing prototype to carry two Helina ATGMs with a nose mounted optronics turret(similar to ALH Rudra and LCH)??

No, it is not difficult. But Rustom-1 is undergoing simple flight flight tests like any other UAVs. Rustom-2/Rustom-H will carry weapons. It is confirmed earlier, before this news.

Rustom-H is more like Global Hawk than Predator.

 

[Abingdonboy]

WOW ! looks very good for our air target practicing ...I wish we get so many everyday to test/shoot them as our targets.....

Big talk from a country with a non-existent aerospace industry.

 

[tallboy123]

First india should make decent UAV which should be at the standards of israeli's drones,then lets talk about predators

 

[Kinetic]

First india should make decent UAV which should be at the standards of israeli's drones,then lets talk about predators

Israel makes the best drones in the world. Making drones of Israeli standard wouldn't make India the best as well? So India must make the best UAVs before talking about Predators.

 

[ganimi kawa]

1.LOL ! What delusional crap. Rustom 1 is not even ready forget about rustom 2. And this article even dares to compare the proposed Rustom2 with Today's Predators. Height of non sense....

2. And by any stretch of imagination, even if the rustom2 fructifies, by that time the predator would have evolved. This drama of comparing a day dream to a polished product would never end. !!

3.IMO, just show us one product which is completed ahead of schedule without big mouth non -sense, then we can even think of reading such half a$$ed articles...

Hey bro, chill down. While I too share your indignation of such frivolous news headlines; a little analysis is warranted.


1. Firstly, Rustom 2 is not a follow up to Rustom 1. Both of them are independant projects which will run simeltaneously for some time. (though R 1 will act as a tech feeder to R 2 ).
So, don't worry about the non completion of R 1.

Also, the DRDO dude compared the two drones in terms of capability and the amount of payload . And believe it or not he is right. The real test lies in acquisition of targets and protection of the drones, we lag behind the yanks by miles!


2. The predator has already evolved into reaper and even phantom ray et al; but we are not trying to compete with the US, are we? For us, a simple predator would be awesome!


3. On this we agree. AFAIK, DRDO did something like this only with the ABM launch!

1.I didn't see no mention of missiles? Predator drones carry cameras and other sensors but have been modified and upgraded to carry and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles or other munitions.

Does Rustom carry any offensive weapons? No! So how can it be compared to the Predator? And then seeing the efficiency of DRDO's projects, this one may be ready not before 2345!!

2.And why the heck would it be equipped with a collision avoidance system? Colliding with what? Air India planes I guess!! Jeeez!

1. Don't worry dude. A 20 km version of Helina is already being studied for UCAV use (as per Aero India seminar). And in the meanwhile something like brimstone can be easily used for this purpose.

2. Not expected from a responsible poster like you bro! I suggest you do some reading bout the UAVs.


http://www.uavm.com/uavregulatory/collisionavoidance.html

 

[Tshering22]

LOL ! What delusional crap. Rustom 1 is not even ready forget about rustom 2. And this article even dares to compare the proposed Rustom2 with Today's Predators. Height of non sense....

Rustom-1 is only a prototype or a light drone for spying. The real drone that is being talked about is RUSTOM-H a MALE that could be armed with missiles. Google it.