Chitradurga: The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) tested the medium altitude long endurance indigenous prototype drone, Rustom-2. Initially, the drone had a few program setbacks. However, overcoming those, the drone flew for eight hours at an altitude of 16000 feet. It was tested at Chitradurga, Karnataka on Friday.
By the end of 2020, the prototype is expected to fly at a height of 26000 feet with an endurance of 18 hours. Capable of carrying different combinations of payloads, Rustom-2 can carry synthetic aperture radar, and situational awareness systems, electronic intelligence systems.
A senior official informed that after eight hours of test flying, Rustom-2 had one hour of fuel left. The DRDO expects the Rustom-2 to be equivalent to the Israeli aerial vehicle, Heron, an unmanned vehicle used by the Indian Airforce and Navy. When China's People's Liberation Army tried to occupy the Indian territory in Ladakh, based on the 1959 cartographical claim on the LAC, a push was given to the Rustom-2 program.
However, Rustom-2 will have to undergo tests and user trials before it is introduced in the Indian Army.