India tests military drone aircraft

[Neo]

India tests military drone aircraft

Monday, 18 Oct, 2010

Rustom, the drone from India completes a maiden test flight on Friday as part of the country's efforts to reduce military imports in New Delhi. – Photo by AFP World

NEW DELHI: India said on Sunday it had completed a maiden test flight of an indigenously-built unmanned drone developed as part of the country’s efforts to reduce military imports.

“The aircraft was flown in a manner exactly as planned, up to a height of 3,000 feet, remained airborne for 30 minutes and completed all mission requirements,” Defence Research and Development Organisation spokesman Ravi Kumar Gupta said of Saturday’s flight.

The drone, named Rustom, has a maximum flight time of 15 hours and is a prototype that the military intends to develop into more advanced models, officials said.

Israel, which in 2005 signed a 220-million dollar deal to sell 50 unmanned spy planes to India, remains one of the country’s largest suppliers of drones.—AFP

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