RUSTOM : The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - A Brief Information

Rustom, the medium altitude long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a premier DRDO lab specialising in UAVs and flight control systems, was successfully flown in its maiden flight on 16 October 2010 at Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd (TAAL), Hosur.

The aerial vehicle was flown up to a height of 914.4 m (3000 feet) in a manner exactly as planned, and remained airborne for 30 minutes, and completed all mission requirements. It travelled slowly, took-off, and landed (among the most challenging manoeuvers for a UAV), using a runway at an air field owned by Taneja Aerospace, Bengaluru, similar to a normal aircraft with the ground-based pilot in full control, monitoring every manoeuver of the aerial vehicle and auto mode remaining on.

Rustom with a designed endurance of 12–15 h, 7620 m (25000 feet) altitude and 75 kg payload is the forerunner of the more advanced Rustom H and UCAV. The data link for this aerial vehicle has been developed by Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL), Dehradun, and the airframe has been built by Zephyr Aerospace, Coimbatore. The subsequent flights will test to demonstrate capabilities such as way point navigation, altitude, and endurance parameters, the systems for which have already been incorporated in the aerial vehicle.

WHAT IS AN UAV( UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE)?

The UAV is an acronym for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, which is an aircraft with no pilot on board. UAVs are remote controlled aircrafts which can be flown by a pilot at a ground control station or can fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. Currently the UAVs are used for a number of missions, including reconnaissance(The act of scouting or exploring) and attack roles.