ADE starts fabrication of 4 Archer SR UAV and HALE UAV Prototype

Source : IgMp Bureau

ADE developed Archer SR-UAV and HALE UAV

The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is in process of fabricating 4 Archer ( Short range)- Armed UAVs which was previously called Rustam-1 SR that will initially be used to conduct various tests, and will be handed over to the indian army for user trials.

Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is also ordering more ground control stations as the Rustam-2 program is nearing completion, and is expected to enter limited scale production soon.

ADE Director Dr. S Venugopal had said that Archer is of the same class as the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 Armed drone. He also had confirmed that the advantage of Archer and Rustam-2 is that both use the same avionics and systems including LRUs and Ground stations that can operate both UAVs with a switch of software that will reduce maintenance and logistics issues for the squadron that will be operating both classes of drones from its base.

Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) has also started fabrication of the High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAV prototype.

Rustom-1 which was an unarmed predecessor of the Archer SR-UAV was not cleared by the Indian Army due to technical shortfalls and was then offered to CRPF where while carrying out trials it had crashed into a boundary wall. ADE says that most of the technologies have now matured thanks to the Rustam-2 program and many of the technologies have already been validated on the Archer SR-UAV in internal trials.