Ghatak and Rustom Indigenous UAV Programs

[Kshithij Sharma]

LCA- over weight
Arjun - Overweight
Rustom - Overweight

we really need to watch our gulab jamuns man!

LCA is not overweight. It is underpowered to fly from carrier. Arjun was stalled due to shortsighted nature of GSQR which kept adding things to make it overweight.

I am not sure about Tapas though. What is its empty weight and payload?

Predator MQ1 has total weight of 1100kg, empty weight 550kg, payload 200kg. It has an engine of 100hP.

TAPAS has twin 100 HP engine. But its empty weight and payload is not released

 

[Shashank]

Glad to see some private players contributing to the development of some critical defence technologies. Hope we get more of such fruitful partnerships in future.

The 9.5 m-long UAV, which has a wingspan of 20.6 m, can carry an assortment of payloads to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. These include medium- and long-range electrooptic systems, a synthetic aperture radar, electronic and communication intelligence systems, and situational awareness payloads.

Indian private company Zephyr Aerospace built the airframe for the Rustom-2, while the DRDO’s Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory developed its data link system.

The PIB did not specify whether the UAV was flight-tested using a new, more powerful engine. So far the Rustom-2 is known to have been powered by two Saturn 36T turboprop engines.

Source : India flight-tests Rustom-2 UAV in user configuration | Jane's 360

 

[Pankaj]

Will Rustom-II have combat capabilities in future?

 

[Desi Lover]

Will Rustom-II have combat capabilities in future?

Remains a mystery

 

[Himanshu]

Will Rustom-II have combat capabilities in future?

Stand Off Anti-Tank Missile (SANT) or Missile Launched Precision Guided Munition(MLPGM) using IIR and MMW seekers developed for Nag Program. The name MLPGM is given because it can be fitted inside a tactical ballistic missile and release it from a favorable altitude. Multiple nos of it can be fitted inside a mother ballistic missile as payload and released during pre terminal stages, then the multiple MLPGM will independently seek, acquire, pursue and home on the targets. The mmw based PGM is already in testing and can be launched from UAVs.

MLPGM was tested from Mirach 100/5 in aug,14

Lakshya PTA tested with PGM

So Rustom-II could have these in future

Also armed forces has requirement of atleast 30 such MALE

 

[Kshithij Sharma]

Helina or SANT can be used in Rustom. Helina weighs just 42kg. SANT may weigh a little more. But overall 2 such missiles, 1 on each wing will weigh 150kg including pylon weight.

The more apt question is whether it is desirable to have drones fitted with missiles. I don't see how drones can work against an advanced enemy. Primitive people can be targeted with drones but not even slightly advanced enemy with WW2 era AAA guns.

I find it more reasonable to equip it with low powered AESA/PESA radar for surveillance

 

[Ashwin]

 

[screambowl]

EXCLUSIVE: Inside The World Of India’s Most Secret Combat Aircraft Program
Shiv Aroor Feb 02 2018 8 30 am

PART 1 OF THE INDIAN FUTURE WEAPONS SERIES

At one end of a sparsely lit chamber is a cluster of row desks with computer terminals. Most of the computer screens are off, tiny orange lights indicating they’re only hibernating in ‘power save’ mode. At least one terminal has a student in jeans slouched in front of it, two bottles of mineral water at his feet. It’s late, well after work hours. Not unusual for a college laboratory. Except, there’s nothing about this room that’s even remotely run-of-the-mill. A mess of wires disappears mysteriously into another room, darkened at this time of night. It is in a cleared out space behind the lone student working past midnight that the room’s chief occupant sits on a long brown table.

Coloured white and shaped tantalizingly like an arrow head is a rough aircraft model, quite clearly in the middle of a fabrication process. Parts of the model appear tacked together with tape. Students building aero-models is far from uncommon, especially at India’s most prestigious engineering school, but this white craft has more riding on it than anything the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur’s (IIT-K) famed aeronautical department has ever been entrusted with before. Within the six-foot frame of the model that sits on this table, and an identical metallic clone in a chamber a few hundred meters away, lies the future of India’s combat air power.

.

WTF is this?

They are testing these models in IITK wind tunnel? Whattt!! This is all they had got to test it?
It's never accurate.

 

[Himanshu]

 

[Ashwin]

 

[GuardianRED]

Hopefully , more info will be available to what is the user configuration ?

 

[Ashwin]

Hopefully , more info will be available to what is the user configuration ?

From Defexpo

 

[Bharath]

Will Rustom-II have combat capabilities in future?

Remains a mystery

Please share with us the updates on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)Rustom-2

Recently, DRDO successfully flew its Rustom-2 from its AeronauticalTest Range (ATR) at Chitradurga in Karnataka. This assumes significanceas the first flight in user configuration with higher power engine. Themedium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle has metall the objectives and the parameters have been normal. Rustom-2 isbeing developed to carry out surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)roles for the armed forces with an endurance of 24 hours. It is capableof carrying different combinations of payloads like synthetic apertureradar, electronic intelligence systems and situational awarenesspayloads. It can carry payloads for electronic and signal intelligencemissions.

We are working on improving the capabilities of the UAV and hope tomake Rustom-2 production-ready soon. Once Rustom-2 is fully readyfor operation, it will reduce the import of expensive precision attackdrones.


http://www.aeromag.in/Magazines/4220205605.pdf

 

[STEPHEN COHEN]

https://twitter.com/x/status/986861707178987520

 

[Himanshu]

So far, six airframes have been realised and 25 flight trials have been carried out using AF 3 to AF 5 at ATR, Chitradurga. Tapas is the first UAV in the country to get certified by Centre for Military Airworthiness (CEMILAC). Tapas has achieved maximum endurance of 85 minutes, an altitude of 14200 ft and range of 40 km during the trials. An imported Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) payload, indigenously developed medium range electro-optic payload developed by ADE and IRDE, Dehradun, have been successfully flight tested. Tapas has been designed with large endurance parameter, minimum drag and lower fuel consuming turbocharged IC engine to achieve higher endurance and higher ceiling. A new high lift air foil ADE-LS-E2 has been designed with high endurance parameter with high aspect ratio and optimum taper ratio to reduce the induced drag. The aerodynamic characteristics and performance was verified in wind tunnel tests prior to the successful flight testing of UAV.

The indigenous development of higher power engine is in advanced stage with one engine handed over to ADE for ground testing after completion of 50 hours of endurance testing. VRDE, Ahmednagar, is coordinating the indigenous development of power plant by M/s Jayem Automotive, Coimbatore.

The indigenous development of payloads is in mature stage. The development of SAR payload is in advanced stage with one prototype undergoing flight trials and evaluation in Dornier manned aircraft. The development of ELINT is completed and is undergoing flight trials with aircraft EMBRAER. The COMINT payload is also in advanced stage. The MREO development is in advanced stage with prototype fitted in Tapas (AF 5) and flight tested.

A consortium of HAL and BEL is involved in the development of Tapas from the design stage. The teams are actively participating and concurrent ToT is taking place. The consortium will be the lead integrators for the production, after getting the subsystems. The programme is expanding the envelope of the flight trials and increasing the range, altitude and endurance in the second half of this year in which all the payloads, imported as well indigenous, will be flight tested.

https://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/newsletter/2018/july_18.pdf

 

[vstol Jockey]

does anyone have any news about the 40KN dry thrust kaveri derivative for Ghatak? I believe it will use the kaveri core and redesigned Turbine, fan and casing.
IMHO, it will be better to use kaveri core for HTFE-40 engine which will make it the best engine in 45 KN dry thrust band with nearly 70KN wet thrust.

 

[randomradio]

does anyone have any news about the 40KN dry thrust kaveri derivative for Ghatak? I believe it will use the kaveri core and redesigned Turbine, fan and casing.
IMHO, it will be better to use kaveri core for HTFE-40 engine which will make it the best engine in 45 KN dry thrust band with nearly 70KN wet thrust.

I think HAL wants to make their own stuff instead of making a rehash of what DRDO's already made. They have their own pride too.

 

[randomradio]

DRDO develops indigenous landing gear for UAV

An indigenously designed and developed landing gear for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Rustom II has been successfully tested today, a Defence statement said.

The landing gear developed by a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory here has undergone low-speed and high-speed taxi trial in Chitradurga, Karnataka, it said.

The maiden flight of Rustom II with the indigenously developed gear was successfully carried out.

"The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), the main laboratory of DRDO, has designed and developed the gear," the statement said.

Rustom II is a medium-altitude long-endurance UAV designed for carrying out surveillance for the armed forces.

The CVRDE is involved in the development of armoured fighter vehicles and tanks among others.

 

[ni8mare]

Rustom II with EO payload and sensors (rear fuselage)

 

[Parthu]

Loyal Wingman drone swarm type concept from HAL & private company NewSpace...

Ghatak/AURA wind tunnel and computer models...