Indonesian MALE UCAV drone, Elang Hitam (Black Eagle) Maiden Flight

[Indos]

Preparation

 

[Pandora]

Looks same class as a Reaper. Great achievement nonetheless.

 

[Indos]

Looks same class as a Reaper. Great achievement nonetheless.

If we look on latest refinement design, it should have third fin like Reaper. I will bring video when the testing conducted in wind tunnel later.

 

[Indos]

I am expecting final prototype will have third fin like Reaper if we see what they are doing in recent video

 

[Indos]

 

[Beast]

Looks more like CH-4.

 

[Indos]

Expected Maiden flight is in the end of Desember 2021 or somewhere in January 2022. I hope no further delay. The development is expected to be completed in 2025 (combatant version) where the military certification is hoped to be completed in 2026. In 2026 it is hoped many subsystem are already local since it is consortium of several SOE and government institution, so not only Indonesian Aerospace who are involved. One Indonesian private owned company, PT Infoglobal has already invited as well to join the program and is expected to provide subsystem for the drone.

 

[Battlion25]

It looks huge.. I wonder what coloring they will go with

 

[Indos]

It looks huge.. I wonder what coloring they will go with

More likely a combination of grey and black ( since the name is Black Eagle) or pure black

 

[Battlion25]

More likely a combination of grey and black ( since the name is Black Eagle) or pure black

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I think that would look awesome black is the color

 

[Indos]

I think that would look awesome black is the color

Best camouflage for night operation. If later we use electric powered engine, it will be very lethal since the drone can fly very low to hide from radar while the engine sound will be relatively much quiet.

 

[Battlion25]

Best camouflage for night operation. If later we use electric powered engine, it will be very lethal since the drone can fly very low to hide from radar while the engine sound will be relatively much quiet.

It would be good to have both colors due to Camouflage a white and blue'ish one and a black one. It will be conventionally solid to have such camouflage

 

[nufix]

Looks more like CH-4.

Considering Indonesia operates CH4, there is a chance that the design is also influenced by CH4. But it is unclear to what degree.

 

[Indos]

Considering Indonesia operates CH4, there is a chance that the design is also influenced by CH4. But it is unclear to what degree.

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We got first CH-4 delivered in 2019 ( from ordering just 6 of them). The same year Black Eagle drone is introduced (although it is non flying prototype without engine ). As video coming from BPPT that I posted above said that the wind tunnel testing have already been conducted in 2016 and 2018. Every body just follow Predator drone from USA, including China.

I think Black Eagle drone has more similarity with Reaper drone. Indonesia basically has many UCAV data since Indonesia institution under BPPT is the one that is trusted by Turkish TAI to test their Anka and Aksungur design in Indonesian wind tunnel facility (BBTA3) since 2008 until 2018 ( where the report is written )

TAI perkuat kerja sama pengujian UAV dengan BPPT

Kerja sama dimulai pada saat pengembangan program pesawat terbang tanpa awak (unmanned aircraft vehicle/UAV) ANKA tahun 2008 - Anadolu Ajansı

www.aa.com.tr

Reaper drone

 

[Indos]

They are also testing the design with third fin like Reaper