76 Rustom-2 TAPAS MALE UAV to be ordered by Army, IAF and Navy

Source : IgMp Bureau

Rustom-2 TAPAS (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) MALE UAV developed by DRDO (File Photo)

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to soon start the production of first five units of TAPAS (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) drones. The drone has already met all its revised qualitative requirements.

It can fly at an altitude of 28,000 feet and has an endurance of 18 hours. The UAV has already demonstrated night landing capability a couple of days ago.

The flight control systems, avionics and data link systems for the first five TAPAS drones are ready. Drawings will be delivered to have by may and as soon as the airframe is ready these systems can be fitted quickly.

HAL will start the staggered delivery of these UAV by September this year. In total 76 units of this UAV will be ordered by forces. There will be 60 drones for Indian Army, 12 for the Indian Air Force and 4 for the Indian Navy.

In a first official confirmation by ADE, it was made public that TAPAS drone will be optionally armed.

Program Director while talking to media said that the TAPAS UAV is pre-designed to carry certain type of weapon systems already in operation, it will be a MQ-1 category drone, capable of carrying two anti-tank guided missiles.

In Indian context, these missiles can be HELINA or Standoff Anti-Tank (SANT) guided missile. Earlier it was believed, TAPAS will be a purely in reconnaissance and search platforms but now it's officially confirmed that it will be optionally armed.