The Tapas-BH (tactical aerial platform for advanced surveillance-beyond horizon) drone, developed by DRDO with over 180 flights clocked till now, will live-stream the aerial and static display of different aircraft during the Aero-India show at Bengaluru.
Pakistan drone shot down by BSF troops in Amritsar
“Tapas-BH will showcase its capabilities, which includes operating at altitudes up to 28,000-feet with an endurance of over 18 hours. The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) is DRDO’s solution for ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) requirements of the Army, IAF and Navy,” a defence ministry official said on Thursday.
The armed drone called Archer-NG (next generation), which can carry 300 kg of weapons including smart anti-airfield weapons (SAAWs) and anti-tank guided missiles, in turn, will be flight-tested for the first time by June-July, sources said.
The Tapas-BH drone, earlier called Rustom-2, has a maximum speed of 225 kmph with a 20.6-metre wing span and “a command range” of 1,000-km with satellite-based communication.
“The UAV, also capable of night-flying, is now getting ready for formal user-trial evaluation by the armed forces. It can thereafter go for production in large numbers by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), Bharat Electronics (BEL) and others,” a source said.
Pakistan’s drug-smuggling drone shot down by alert forces in Amritsar
The operational utility of drones and AI-enabled drone swarms has been driven home by recent conflicts ranging from Armenia-Azerbaijan to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine one.
India, however, has lagged far behind others in developing advanced UAVs and has resorted to importing Heron and Searcher-II drones in large numbers from Israel over the years. The Navy also has two unarmed MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones on lease from US firm General Atomics.
Advanced indigenous drones will be much cheaper. The Tapas-BH, which currently flies with a foreign engine, costs around Rs 40-45 crore with all its mission sensors. “The indigenous UAV engine is also now ready and in an advanced stage of evaluation,” the source said.
“Importantly, an indigenous advanced ground control station can operate six to seven home-grown UAVs. The Archer-NG, with several more hard-points for weapons carriage, also draws a lot in design from the Tapas-BH,” he added.
China, incidentally, has supplied armed Cai Hong-4 and Wing Loong-II drones to Pakistan. India, too, has a long-standing plan to acquire armed MQ-9B Predator drones from the US. But the proposed deal’s high cost at $3 billion (Rs 24,000 crore) for 30 drones has led to a rethink on reducing the total number to 18 now.