TAPAS-BH-201

Not to be confused with DRDO Rustom.

DRDO TAPAS BH-201
TAPAS-BH-201 in flight
Role Unmanned aerial vehicle
National origin India
Manufacturer Bharat Electronics
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Designer Aeronautical Development Establishment
First flight 15 November 2016
Status User trials
Primary user Indian Armed Forces
Number built 4 (Prototypes) [1]
Developed from DRDO Rustom-H

The Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance Beyond Horizon-201[2] or TAPAS BH-201(Sanskrit: तपस्; lit. Heat) (formerly referred to as Rustom-II until 2016[3]) is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE)[4] unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed in India by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) on the lines of General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.[5][6][7]

The UAV is a further development of twin-engine Rustom-H, which was a part of Rustom technology demonstrator programme of DRDO.[8]

The first flight of the UAV took place in November 2016.[9] On 14 January 2024, a government source disclosed that TAPAS-BH-201 had been officially closed as a mission mode project due to its inability to achieve the Joint Services Qualitative Requirements (JSQRs) for altitude and endurance.[10][11] ADE will keep developing the UAV, enhancing its designs and boosting its power to better meet the demands of the armed forces, especially on endurance and altitude.[12]

  1. ^ "TAPAS UAV all set for user trials: Know how this will boost India's defence capabilities". 10 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Aero India 2023: TAPAS BH Makes History with Debut". 14 February 2023.
  3. ^ "TAPAS only for surveillance, may be morphed for combat duty: DRDO chief". Deccan Herald. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. ^ "TAPAS-BH | Defence Research and Development Organisation - DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.drdo.gov.in. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  5. ^ "First flight of UAV Rustom-2 scheduled in Feb, 2014". The Economic Times. 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Unmanned: The Future of Air Wars". SP's Aviation. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  7. ^ "India may soon have its own 'Predator drones'". Rediff News. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Breaking: BEL to manufacture 20 Archer UAV". BEL. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  9. ^ "DRDO's combat drone Rustom-2 flies for the first time - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  10. ^ "DRDO to continue with Tapas drone project, to expand its capabilities to operate above 30,000 ft". ANI. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  11. ^ Pandit, Rajat (15 January 2024). "India shelves biggest project to develop advanced UAV". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  12. ^ Negi, Manjeet (16 January 2024). "India to continue developing capabilities of indigenous Tapas drones". India Today. Retrieved 16 January 2024.