The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have confirmed that the indigenously developed Tapas BH-201 (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon 201) MALE (medium-altitude long Endurance) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is now ready for user evaluation trials.
Notably, the user evaluation trials are deemed crucial by the DRDO, as they will assess the functional and operational capabilities of the Tapas-201 UAV in real-world scenarios.
These evaluations will involve subjecting the UAV to different altitudes and external parameters, ensuring it can withstand the demanding requirements of military applications.
Undoubtedly, the trials will play a pivotal role in validating the effectiveness of the UAV.
The successful completion of these trials will pave its way for induction into the three Armed Forces, enhancing their operational capabilities.
Recently, the successfully completed its 200th flight, marking a significant achievement for the project. This milestone flight took place at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, located approximately 200 kilometers from Bengaluru.
About Tapas BH-201
Designed and developed in response to the tri-services Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, Tracking, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) needs, the Tapas BH-201 UAV prioritizes long-endurance capabilities, boasting an impressive command range of 1000 kilometers. Once the UAV completes its final stage of trials, it will be an invaluable asset to the Indian armed forces, contributing to significant cost savings and enhancing its operational capabilities.
TAPAS BH-201 is a MALE UAV with an operating altitude of 30000 ft, endurance of 24 hrs with EO & SAR payloads and a range of 250 kms. It can carry a variety of payloads up to a maximum of 350 kgs. Rustom-2 is a platform designed to perform Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance missions for Indian Armed Forces. Its mission requirements are to provide continuous wide area coverage and yet be able to identify small targets. Rustom-II is comparable in the same class such as IAI’s HERON.
