http://idrw.org/?p=3101
Reports are emerging that Rustom-TD which was used has a Technology demonstrator for the bigger Rustom-H project which will be India’s high-altitude long endurance (HALE) platform ,will also hit productions.
Rustom -1 which has been build with in collaboration with private players has completed its flight testing ,and has successfully demonstrated its flight worthy characters ,which has per original plan was to make way for the development of bigger DRDO designed Rustom-H ,which will fulfill HALE UAV requirement put forward by three armed forces of India . but it seems to emerge that Indian army is currently impressed with Rustom- 1 performance and wants it to be developed into MALE UAV to be used in its services .
Rustom-1 MALE UAV is based on NAL’s LCRA manned platform ,which was used for experimental purpose in mid 80′s and it was basically a Long-EZ built for research purposes by a team headed by Professor Rustum Damania, using a kit bought from a US company called Rutan.
Rustom-H which DRDO hopes will be ready by 2014 will have higher endurance level and also will be able to operate at higher altitude level .DRDO has also not ruled out possible armed variant based on Rustom H.
Armed variant of Rustom H ,will be Test bed for the further development for combat variants of UAV , which DRDO plans to develop .
DRDO has planned to Develop Autonomous combat drone with Artificial intelligence ,which has been named has AURA ,first flight of which is expected at end of this decade .
