RUSTOM-2 UAV

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• The indigenous medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation is expected to complete all user trials by August 2023,
• A separate project for the weaponisation of the Rustom UAV is also under way.
• “Four prototypes of Rustom-2 are currently flying. Five production models will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), which is the production partner,” a defence official said on the sidelines of DefExpo-2022.
• “The production models will be ready in five or six months.”
• A second official said night flying trials had started but were held up due to logistical issues and were expected to be completed shortly.
• Last December, Rustom-2 had crossed a milestone by reaching an altitude of 25,000 feet and an endurance of 10 hours. The target is to reach an altitude of 30,000 feet with an endurance of 20 hours

Rustom

• It has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru with production partners being Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Bharat Electronics Limited.
• It is also known as Tapas-BH (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon 201).
• The UAV is actually named after Rustom Damania, a former professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
• In the 1980s, he led the National Aeronautical Laboratories’ light canard research aircraft (LCRA) program.
• The LCRA platform and R&D provide the preliminary drive for DRDO ADE’s eventual Rustom-II design

Features:

• It is being developed to carry out surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles and is capable of carrying different combinations of advanced payload and capable of auto-landing among others.
• It is being designed to acquire real-time, high-quality pictures and signal intelligence from fields of concern at medium to long ranges.
• It technologically matches contemporary UAVs available and will also be cheaper than the imported ones. 

Significance and need 

• High endurance UAVs are a priority requirement for the armed forces especially in the standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh.
• The armed forces rely heavily on the Israeli Searcher and Heron drones and need more such UAVs.

SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB