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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.
