News Excerpt:
In a boost for made-in-India weapon systems, the Indian Navy is set to place an order for four Tapas drones built in India by the DRDO.
More in the news:
- Tapas drones will be manufactured by a consortium comprising Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
About the Tapas Drones:
- It is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drones developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
- These drones, designed and manufactured in India, will be deployed for maritime surveillance operations,
- The manufacturing of these drones will be undertaken by a consortium comprising Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
- The consortium is committed to expediting the delivery process, with the first drone expected to be ready within 24 months of the contract's signing.
- The existing drones would be used for carrying out trials and to enhance their capabilities.
- The Tapas drones being developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment Laboratory have not been able to fully meet the Joint Services Qualitative Requirements of flying at 30,000 feet for over 24 hours at a stretch and have been excluded from the category of mission mode projects.
- However, during recent trials, the drones successfully reached an altitude of 28,000 feet and sustained flight for over 18 hours.
