Rustom-2 UAV takes to the skies

Rustom-2 UAV takes to the skies

Context:

• Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out a test-flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle Rustom-2.

Introduction:

• The flight was conducted at its Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga of Karnataka.

Significance:

• This flight assumes significance because this is the first flight in user configuration with a higher power engine.

Rustom-2:

• Rustom-2 belongs to a family of UAVs under development, besides Rustom-1 and Rustom-H.
• It is a medium-altitude long-endurance drone (MALE) and will fill a critical capability gap in the inventory of the armed forces.
• It can fly up to an altitude of 22,000 feet and has an endurance of over 20 hours.
• It is capable of carrying payloads for electronic and signal intelligence missions.
• Currently, the three services employ hundreds of Israeli drones and have projected a requirement of hundreds of more UAVs, including armed variants, in the near future.
• The DRDO is also developing other drones in different categories.