Rustom 2/TAPAS/BH-201 MALE UAV News Updates and Discussions

Kunal Biswas

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India To Partner With Private Firms To Build Combat Drone



India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has invited private companies to partner with the government to develop and manufacture its first unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The UCAV project, called Rustom-2 project was brought under the "Strategy India" category with funding by the government because the private companies had been lukewarm about building prototypes at their own expenses. In the "Strategy India" category, the government funds up to 80 percent in the development of the prototype, while the remaining 20 percent is funded by the selected private development agency, according to Defense News.

The development cost of Rustom-2 is estimated to be about $200 million. DRDO will fund 80 percent of the development and prototype cost for the Rustom-2 UCAV, and the remaining 20 percent will be paid by private Indian defense companies. This is the first time DRDO has invited private companies to develop prototypes under their guidance. In doing so, the Defence Ministry is reversing its decision to build Rustom-2 using only DRDO and state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

India's domestic private sector defense companies including L&T, Tata Power SED,Mahindra Defence System, Data Patterns India Pvt. Ltd. and Bharat Forge Ltd are likely to be frontrunners to compete for the Rustom-2 project.

India began its Rustom-1 UAV in 2006 and initially wanted participation by domestic defense companies. However, after the MoD failed to give firm commitments of orders to the selected company, none of the defense companies from the private sector participated.
Source : India To Partner With Private Firms To Build Combat Drone

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This is a very good news ..
 

Ray

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There are many great brains outside the DRDO as is seen with so many youngsters making their own drones and commercially exploiting the same.

It is good that the DRDO, which has very sophisticated infrastructure and research facilities, is joining hands with the private concerns to enhance the product viability.
 

power_monger

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There are many great brains outside the DRDO as is seen with so many youngsters making their own drones and commercially exploiting the same.

It is good that the DRDO, which has very sophisticated infrastructure and research facilities, is joining hands with the private concerns to enhance the product viability.
DRDO was never a competitor to private companies.Only in forums,this kind of picture is put forward. I really like the idea of DRDO being the chief designer with private companies working around it. This will help in faster prototyping as DRDO can assign development of various subsystems to Private companies. in turn the private companies will get orders for mass manufacturing.

only two countries(US and Israel) have sucessful MALE(medium altitude long endurance) UAVs. Rustom-2 will be India's first MALE UAV. Hoping we do well.
 

Zebra

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God knows when SAAB will introduce their 5th generation (Gripen) aircraft but few guys at Institute of Technology, Linkoping University, had already started their work in 2010.


Uploaded on Apr 18, 2010, by wellerocks
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DRDO can call all Indians who are interested in this project.

Figure out what type of people and with what kind of skills they may need in this project.

And then advertise it in media / SM.

Those who are interested, may apply.

Select the cream out of those applicants with their background check and move on.

Its not impossible. IMO.
 
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ezsasa

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Very good move, but still there is a open point that needs to be closed.

Who owns the I.P rights for Rustom 2.

Is the govt who designs and spend 80% or private entity with 20% funding but may hold future manufacturing rights?

How will the profits be split going ahead once R2 becomes productionised.

Any business house will be very much interested in clarity on these issues before getting into the deal.
 

sorcerer

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Great news!!!
Its high time such moves are made!
 

Indx TechStyle

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The Rustom-2 medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) designed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) will make its first flight by early next month. Delayed by around two years, Rustom-2 “is at an advanced state of readiness,” according to Ashok Rangan, the program director at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a DRDO laboratory that develops and transfers technology to a production agency. The project was first shown as a full-scale model at the Aero India show in 2010.
Rangan told AIN that Rustom-2 is benefiting from experience gained with the Rustom-1, also known as the Light Canard Research Aircraft (LCRA). This project of the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) developed a small UAV that resembled the Rutan Long-EZ manned sportplane. It flew 55 times and still has “enormous scope and potential,” according to Rangan.
Rustom-2 will be further developed and
produced by a consortium comprising Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), DRDO and Bharat Electronics Ltd. They have jointly invested $46 million, Rangan told a UAV seminar held in New Delhi this week. The initial requirement is for 76 for the the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
Rangan explained the third and fourth airframes are going through a design validation phase that would end in January 2016. The fifth to eighth airframes for the user evaluation phase have been ordered. They will evaluate payloads including electro-optics, synthetic aperture radar, multifunction phased array radar, electronic intelligence and satcom. Rangan told AIN airframes 9 to 15 will follow from the production line by early 2017.
The biggest challenge being faced is an
overweight airframe. “Today it weighs 2,400 kg [5,300 pounds]. We are looking to bring that down to 1,700 kg [3,700 pounds] after delivery of the first 24,” Rangan said. The military has set exacting qualitative requirements, he added, including multi-sensor payloads weighing no more than 360 kg (800 pounds) and an endurance of 25 hours. The added weight obliged ADE to fit larger powerplants: Austro Engine AE300 diesels rated at 170 hp.
View attachment 6523
 

bengalraider

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Good looking bird, I hope they gain FOC soon . We need many of these in various configurations to fulfil multiple needs.
 

Shaitan

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If this is a UCAV, where are its hardpoints or weapon's bay?

Base platform is for recon, but it will have an armed role later.

This is a prototype, more to be made, with more changes to the frame, btw.
 

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