Finally our country getting set to launch an ambitious project India Drone named by RUSTOM to develop and completely country based Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), which will be capable of firing missiles and precision-guided munitions at enemy targets and then returning to home bases to re-arm for further missions.
The Rustom is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) being developed by DRDO for the following Indian Forces, Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force of the Indian Armed Forces (IAF). Rustom is derived from the NAL's LCRA (Light Canard Research Aircraft) developed by a team under direction of late Prof. Rustom Damania in the 1980s. The UAV will have structural changes and a new engine. India Drone named Rustom will replace the Heron UAVs in service with the IAF.
The range of advanced technologies and systems include the following:
- Aerodynamic configurations, High aspect ratio wing, Composite airframe integrated with propulsion system, de-icing system for wings
- Highly reliable systems with built-in redundancy for flight critical systems like flight control and navigation, data links, power management, - and mission critical payload management system
- Digital Flight Control and Navigation System, Automatic Take off and Landing
- Digital communication technologies for realizing data links to control and operate the mission and relay UAVs
- Payloads with high resolution and precision stabilized platforms.
Variants of Rustom Series: There will be 3 variants of the Rustom UAV
Rustom-I: Tactical UAV with endurance of 12 hours (based on NAL's LCRA which was inspired by Burt Rutan's Long-EZ)
Rustom-H: Larger UAV with flight-endurance of over 24 hours, higher range and service ceiling than Rustom-1.
Rustom-II: An unmanned combat air vehicle based on Rustom-H model, it is often compared with Predator drones by Indian scientists and media.
Specifications:
General characteristics:
Crew: none
Payload: 95 Kg (165.3 lbs) and 350 kg (771.6 lbs) for both model
Length: 5.12 m (16 ft 10 in) and 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) for both model
Wingspan: 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in) and 20.6 m (67 ft 7 in) for both model
Height: Rustom-1: 2.40 m (7 ft 10 in)
Empty weight: 720 kg (1587.33 lbs) & 1,800 kg (3968.32 lbs) for both models
Powerplant:
Rustom-I: 1 × Lycoming O-320 engines four-cylinder air-cooled horizontally opposed engine, 112 kW (150 hp)
Rustom-H: 2 × NPO-Saturn 36MT engines wing-mounted turboprop, 73.55 kW (100 hp)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 150 km/hr (Rustom 1) and 225 km/hr (Rustom 2) (139.81 mph)
Cruise speed: 125-175 km/hr (Rustom 2)
Range:
Line of sight: 250 km (156.25 miles)
Relay Communication: 350 km (218.75 miles)
Ferry range: 1000 km (625 miles) for Rustom-2
Service ceiling: 26,000 ft for Rustom-1 and 35,000 ft for Rustom-H (8,000 m and 10,668 m resp.)
Amazing Features to this Biggest Invention:
- A Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Rustom-II is comparable to the American made-Predator Drone and can fly for 24 hours at stretch. It can conduct sustained surveillance and can carry weapons along with Surveillance Equipment.
- Rustom-II will undergo further trials regarding its design parameters after which it will be ready for User Validation Trials.
- The application of drones is manifold - including reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence gathering and aerial combat missions. What makes them indispensable is that they can conduct these tasks at a fraction of the cost of a manned aircraft and in case of a crash or malfunction, costs no lives.
- The most recent instance of drone usage by India had been during the Aarmy's surgical strikes on terror launchpads across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, where the drones have monitored and filmed the proceedings.
- For that operation, the military had to rely on imported drones, which had long endurance and a capacity to fly in high altitudes. Said by official that in future, Rustom-2 will be able to carry out such missions.
- The maiden test-flight of Rustom-2 was conducted from Chitradurga, 250 km to Bengaluru, where a new Aeronautical Test Range has come up. Both drones and manned aircraft can be tested there.
- The 2-tonne UAV, which has a wing-span of 20 mt. and controlled by members of Armed Forces.
- It has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment- the Bangalore-based Premier Lab. of Defence Research Development Organisation.
- The Rustom-2 has been renamed Tapas 201. The Rustom-1, which flew for the first time in 2009, had been named after the late. Rustom Damania.
