Monday 22 October 2012

Rustom-2 (H) HALE UAV to have its first flight in early 2014

Development of Rustom-2 (H) HALE UAV will shift into higher gears from next year, when Agencies will start testing components for Rustom-2 (H) HALE UAV, According to media reports first prototype will be ready by end of 2013 and first flight is likely to occur in first quarter of 2014.

Designing of Rustom-2 has been completed, and agencies are selecting a development partner for which major Private sector defence companies have given their proposal, Rustom-2 (H) HALE UAV will be UAV in class of American RQ-1 Predator.

Rustom-2 will have flight endurance of over 24 hours and will be able to operate above 30000 ft, DRDO plans to complete the entire test and enter its production by end of 2016. All three Services have shown keen Interest in the Project and have their firm backing on this Rustom-2 project.

Rustom-2 MK-2 will carry External Weapons like American RQ-1 Predator. As per sources Army and Navy have shown keen interest in this variant .India is looking to replace Israeli made UAV in its current fleet with indigenously made Rustom-1 and Rustom-2.

Rustom-2 Mk-2 will be test bed of lot of technologies which will ultimately find its place in India’s UCAV Project Aura, which will take to air by 2020, but the Project will officially go on line only after Rustom-2 enters Production in 2016.

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