India's 'Predator' To Take Off In A Year

[Ajaxpaul]

India's Rustom-2/H medium altitude long endurance UAS is scheduled to make its first flight in February 2014. As I've reported here before, the platform will be built in two variants, a base surveillance version and an armed strike version on the lines of the MQ-1 Predator. Prototypes will begin ground testing and ground systems checks in August this year, according to ADE officials I spoke to at Aero India. The picture here is from a poster I saw detailing the platform's landing gear.

In June last year, I picked up this slide that for the first time articulates the Rustom-2/H's strike profile. And in April 2011, I'd chanced upon information about a stand-off extended range version of the HELINA anti-armour weapon that would be potentially integrated on the Rustom-2/H in the future.


Livefist: India's 'Predator' To Take Off In A Year

 

[Cherokee]

Oye Udd Jane do Pehle . Drum beating starts before results .

And when someone will ridicule it , all will be up in arms .

DRDO should first complete their tests and all and make sure it will be success and then "leak" it .

Thank god i did not see the name of Maniac Saraswat here .

 

[trident2010]

Good news !!

 

[livingdead]

Good news !!

its a non news.

 

[GR!FF!N]

The first flight test of indigenously developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Rustom-2, set to be used solely for defence purposes, would take place in February 2014 as per schedule, a top official said today.

"The first flight of Rustom-2 will take place in February 2014," Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) Director P S Krishnan told reporters on the sidelines of the Aero India seminar here.

Weighing 1.8 tonne, Rustom-2 would have a capacity payload of 350 kg, a wingspan of 21-metre and an endurance of above 24 hours, he said.

Rustom-2 is in the league of US 'Predator' drones because of its advanced capabilities and additional payloads, Krishnan said.

Rustom UAVs could be deployed for military missions like reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signal intelligence, he said.

To a query, Krishnan said DRDO had conducted four test flights of Nishant, fitted with 80 kg engine developed from scratch by ADE and it was ready for serial production and supply to the defence forces.

"We have had four test flights of Nishant which is now fitted with the new indigenous engine. We had to ensure that we get the altitude of 3.7 km so we had to carry some design modification to get the final altitude. Engine performance has been excellent," he said.

"This was the reason we could get to the desired altitude envelop, speeds and also endurance of four and half hours. Everything went well. We have supplied four LSP versions of Nishant to the army and are ready for serial production. The engine was developed over four years and Rs 20-odd crore have been invested on it," Krishnan said.

Asked about the significance of indigenously-made UAV engine, Krishnan said India was purchasing UAV engines from Europe with import content of 5 to 10 per cent.

'First Flight of UAV Rustom-2 scheduled in February 2014' - Economic Times

 

[ashok321]

India was purchasing UAV engines from Europe with import content of 5 to 10 per cent.

Lol whats this balderdash in the form of above>?

 

[IND151]

good news. Best luck to the developer team.

 

[Iggy]

Rustom-2 is in the league of US 'Predator' drones because of its advanced capabilities and additional payloads, Krishnan said.

This comparison has to be stopped

Didnt even started the first flight and already comparing it to the proven predator!!

Seems like Saraswat is giving wrong inspiration to all..

 

[Ajaxpaul]

This comparison has to be stopped

Didnt even started the first flight and already comparing it to the proven predator!!

Seems like Saraswat is giving wrong inspiration to all..

Maybe what he meant was precision bombings with the help of military grade signals from GLONASS. That is very much possible.

What is questionable is the political will to do it.

 

[livingdead]

Maybe what he meant was precision bombings with the help of military grade signals from GLONASS. That is very much possible.

What is questionable is the political will to do it.

its only possible in minds of drdo fanboys...

 

[Abingdonboy]

Oye Udd Jane do Pehle . Drum beating starts before results .

And when someone will ridicule it , all will be up in arms .

DRDO should first complete their tests and all and make sure it will be success and then "leak" it .

Thank god i did not see the name of Maniac Saraswat here .

Sir don't be down on the DRDO- every such orginsation announces such milestones ahead of time. It is not about counting chickens and all that.

 

[Cherokee]

Sir don't be down on the DRDO- every such orginsation announces such milestones ahead of time. It is not about counting chickens and all that.

I am not Down on DRDO but i m sure Its a complete Pipe dream to even compare it with "Predator" .

We can learn a thing or two about Humility the way Chinese unveil their weapons ( i am not talking about their members on this site though) .

 

[RISING SUN]

I have full faith in DRDO but it doesn't mean that they go on full-time publication. Heck government doesn't clears the projects based on public demand. It's done through armed forces. So they should focus on continuous consultation with armed forces instead of crazy media people. This is why they have been established for.

 

[faithfulguy]

I have full faith in DRDO but it doesn't mean that they go on full-time publication. Heck government doesn't clears the projects based on public demand. It's done through armed forces. So they should focus on continuous consultation with armed forces instead of crazy media people. This is why they have been established for.

Unfortunately for India, defense projects are ways for the politicians to garner more votes. Its wrong and unfortunate, but its the fact. The media were brought into it to drum up excitement for this same purpose. And many Indians take it in hook, line and sinker.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I am not Down on DRDO but i m sure Its a complete Pipe dream to even compare it with "Predator" .

We can learn a thing or two about Humility the way Chinese unveil their weapons ( i am not talking about their members on this site though) .

Can't compare with India and China. India is an open democracy so such details do bag to come out. Having said that India is pretty secretive when it wants to be.