SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), one of India’s premier aerospace and defence manufacturers, has announced plans to develop a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) class Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), marking another step toward strengthening the country’s indigenous unmanned systems capabilities.
According to information shared with idrw.org, the proposed UAV will be powered by a propeller-driven engine mounted at the rear—a configuration that enhances aerodynamic efficiency and reduces noise signature, especially useful during surveillance missions. The platform will also feature an Electro-Optical (EO) sensor payload and incorporate a tailwheel landing gear system, suggesting a robust and potentially short-field takeoff and landing capability.
TASL has not provided a timeline for the prototype rollout or initial trials of the new MALE UAV. However, the announcement comes amid increasing demand from India’s Tri-services—Army, Navy, and Air Force—for a long-endurance surveillance drone capable of flying above 30,000 feet and staying airborne for at least 24 hours.
The MALE UAV category is critical for real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in both peacetime border monitoring and wartime operations. Indigenous development of such a system is strategically important for reducing reliance on foreign platforms such as the Israeli Heron series or the U.S.-made MQ-9B, which have been deployed in limited numbers by Indian forces.
While India is also pursuing the DRDO-developed TAPAS-BH-201 MALE UAV, the entry of TASL into the MALE UAV segment introduces a competitive private-sector alternative that could accelerate innovation, localization, and cost-effective manufacturing. It also aligns with the Indian government’s push under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative to promote private sector involvement in defence R&D and production.
The specifics of the sensor suite, avionics, communication links, and weaponization potential of the TASL UAV remain undisclosed for now, but defence observers will be watching closely for further developments, especially as the Indian military modernizes its surveillance and strike capabilities with next-generation UAVs.
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