India's Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) Rustom 1 unmanned air system is still undergoing testing and recently completed its 14th successful flight.
In a statement, India's government said the 14th flight achieved two milestones: the heaviest take-off weight of 690kg (1,520lb) since testing began in November 2009; and the farthest flight from base thus far, 50km (27nm).
The flight took place from a location in India's southern Karnataka province on 8 May. It lasted 2h and 10min, with the Rustom 1 reaching a top speed of 75kt (140km/h) and altitude of 11,500ft (3,500m).
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Missions envisaged for the Rustom 1 include reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signals intelligence.
When operational, the UAS should be able to achieve a maximum altitude of 22,000ft, provide an endurance of 12-15h and have an operating range of 250km.
Source: Flight International
