Indian Army's big leap in drone warfare: VTOL UAV Rudrastra shows deadly precision strike capabilities

In a major milestone for India's unmanned aerial warfare capabilities, the successful trial of the Hybrid VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) UAV Rudrastra, designed and developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) for the Indian Army, was conducted on Wednesday.

 

According to reports, the trial was conducted in line with the performance parameters mapped out by the Indian Army, including vertical takeoff and landing, high endurance, precision targeting, and mission flexibility.

 

During the trial, Rudrastra showcased robust operational capability, covering a mission radius of over 50 km with a stable real-time video link and successfully returning to the original launch point. 

 

The total range, including loitering at the target area, exceeded 170 km, with an estimated endurance of nearly 1.5 hours, news agency ANI reported.

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The trial saw a precision-guided anti-personnel warhead being dropped from medium altitude. The munition executed an airburst detonation at a low height, demonstrating its lethal impact over a wide radius, meeting tactical effectiveness benchmarks, ANI reported.

 

The successful demonstration of the system marks a major milestone in the country's pursuit of indigenised defence technologies. Designed for surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision targeting, Rudrastra can loiter over target zones, engage enemy positions, and return autonomously to its launch site.

 

Rudrastra is expected to increase the surveillance and precision strike capabilities of the Indian Army, especially in the wake of evolving aerial threats, and make the force more capable of rapid and flexible unmanned operations.

Defence