<p>UAV Rustom-2 project is spread over 66 months, Director of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory, P S Krishnan, told PTI here.<br /><br />Rustom-2 would have a wing-span of 21-odd metres and an endurance of 24-hours-plus, as against seven-odd metres and 12-15 hours of Rustom-1, which has already completed five flights. ADE is the nodal lab for these projects.<br /><br />Rustom-2 would have new payloads such as synthetic aperture radar, maritime patrol radar and collision avoidance system, among others, he said.</p>.<p>"With its capability and the amount of payload it can carry, it (Rustom-2) compares well with (American) Predator (drones) and other class of vehicles," Krishnan said.<br /><br />The Predator is a nickname given to one in a series of UAVs, or pilotless drones, operated by the Pentagon, the CIA and, increasingly, other agencies of the US federal government such as the border patrol.<br /><br />Asked if India is also developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles, he said "we are thinking of that one. Some plans will be there". <br /><br />Meanwhile, Rustom-1, the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MALE - UAV), would be integrated with payloads by next month, Krishnan said.<br />"We have demonstrated all the flying characteristics of the Rustom more or less in the final form".<br /><br />Krishnan said the Indian Army is keenly watching the developments of Rustom-1, which has the potential military missions like reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signal intelligence.<br /><br />India has also started working on solar-power UAVs but is still at the R&D stage.<br />DRDO's Chief Controller (Aero), A Subhananda Rao, said this solar-powered UAV would have an endurance of "almost one week".<br /><br />"Solar power will have to be harnessed and energy converters of higher efficiency will have to be designed," Rao told reporters.<br /><br />"Lot of technological challenges are there. But definitely we will be getting into that. We are making a case for project sanction", he added </p>
<p>UAV Rustom-2 project is spread over 66 months, Director of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory, P S Krishnan, told PTI here.<br /><br />Rustom-2 would have a wing-span of 21-odd metres and an endurance of 24-hours-plus, as against seven-odd metres and 12-15 hours of Rustom-1, which has already completed five flights. ADE is the nodal lab for these projects.<br /><br />Rustom-2 would have new payloads such as synthetic aperture radar, maritime patrol radar and collision avoidance system, among others, he said.</p>.<p>"With its capability and the amount of payload it can carry, it (Rustom-2) compares well with (American) Predator (drones) and other class of vehicles," Krishnan said.<br /><br />The Predator is a nickname given to one in a series of UAVs, or pilotless drones, operated by the Pentagon, the CIA and, increasingly, other agencies of the US federal government such as the border patrol.<br /><br />Asked if India is also developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles, he said "we are thinking of that one. Some plans will be there". <br /><br />Meanwhile, Rustom-1, the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MALE - UAV), would be integrated with payloads by next month, Krishnan said.<br />"We have demonstrated all the flying characteristics of the Rustom more or less in the final form".<br /><br />Krishnan said the Indian Army is keenly watching the developments of Rustom-1, which has the potential military missions like reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signal intelligence.<br /><br />India has also started working on solar-power UAVs but is still at the R&D stage.<br />DRDO's Chief Controller (Aero), A Subhananda Rao, said this solar-powered UAV would have an endurance of "almost one week".<br /><br />"Solar power will have to be harnessed and energy converters of higher efficiency will have to be designed," Rao told reporters.<br /><br />"Lot of technological challenges are there. But definitely we will be getting into that. We are making a case for project sanction", he added </p>