India’s TAPAS BH Surveillance Drone to Make Flying Debut at Aero India

India’s homegrown TAPAS-BH (Rustom-2) medium-altitude, long endurance drone will make its flying debut at the upcoming Aero India show (Feb.13-17) at Bengaluru city.

DRDO, the drone’s developer, said the Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon (TAPAS-BH) will be part of static as well aerial displays on the business days of the five-day aerospace and defense exhibition.

TAPAS can be used to fulfill the military’s ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) requirements. It is capable of operating at altitudes up to 28,000 feet for over 18 hours. The TAPAS has a 20.6m wingspan, top-speed of 225kmph, and a command range of 1,000km via satellite-based communication system. The drone is built to carry a variety of payloads up to a maximum of 350kg.

The platform can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans. It comes fitted with sensors and cameras that allow it to capture high-resolution images and videos.

The data collected by the drone can be transmitted to a ground control station where it can be analyzed and used to make informed decisions.