India's Combat Drone 'Rustom-2' Completes First Flight

India's long endurance Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) Rustom-2 has achieved its first flight early on Tuesday.

The UCAV, which is in the medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) category of vehicles, was developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Rustom-2, which has a wingspan of more than 20m and an endurance of 24-30 hours, completed its first flight in Challakere, about 200km from Bengaluru.

Equipped with contemporary technology, it will need a runway to takeoff and land unlike conventional UAVs.  The advanced version in comparison to Rustom-I, will have enhanced aerodynamic configuration, digital flight control and navigation system, Times of India reported today.

"Besides, it will also have automatic takeoff and landing capabilities, this version of Rustom is comparable to some of the best in the world," officials in ADE said.

The ADE hopes to bag orders from all the three wings of the armed forces but finally what matters is its ability to stick to deadlines and also give a good quality platform.

The Indian army, which had inducted DRDO's earlier UAV Nishanth, had to undergo many crashes and hence the army is thinking of discarding it with no fresh induction.