DRDO's Archer NG UAV Set for Maiden Flight in February as Low-Speed and High-Speed Taxi Trials Successfully Completed

India's indigenous drone program is poised for a significant leap forward as the Archer NG, a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), prepares for its maiden flight.

Sources indicate that the UAV, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has successfully completed both low-speed and high-speed taxi trials, paving the way for its first sortie, likely in February.

These successful taxi trials represent a crucial milestone in the Archer NG's development. They simulate real flight conditions, rigorously testing the aircraft's systems under controlled ground conditions.

Low-speed trials ensure the UAV can handle basic movement, steering, and braking, while high-speed trials evaluate the integrity of the airframe, control surfaces, and propulsion system at near-flight speeds.

The Archer NG boasts advanced avionics, a Ground Control Station (GCS), and a Ground Data Terminal (GDT) derived from the Rustom-2 program. With an all-up weight of around 1.8 tonnes and a payload capacity of up to 400 kg, it is designed for a variety of roles, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and potentially armed missions.

This UAV aims to fulfill the Indian Armed Forces' need for a platform capable of operating at altitudes up to 30,000 feet with an endurance of 24 hours, addressing the shortcomings of earlier Indian UAV programs like TAPAS.

Its ability to perform diverse missions, from intelligence gathering to precision strikes, will significantly enhance India's strategic reconnaissance and combat capabilities, especially in critical border regions.

There is considerable anticipation surrounding the Archer NG's maiden flight, particularly given India's past challenges in UAV development. Success with this program could significantly boost confidence in indigenous defence projects and encourage further investment in this critical sector.

The Archer NG has the potential to be a game-changer for India's defence capabilities, providing a versatile and powerful platform for a wide range of military operations.

 

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[bonito]

How many believe this will be successful? I doubt its capability when fully loaded. What is so different about Archer-NG than Rustom if there is no change in engine?

 

[sanket]

How many believe this will be successful? I doubt its capability when fully loaded. What is so different about Archer-NG than Rustom if there is no change in engine?

its weight has been shaded, i think it will b successful, second will the test conducted before Aero-India or after that.

 

[AK S]

How many believe this will be successful? I doubt its capability when fully loaded. What is so different about Archer-NG than Rustom if there is no change in engine?

If the bar is set to 30K ft, then it has failed even before it started. 30K ft with piston engine is just not doable … there isn’t enough oxygen at those heights to burn the fuel in piston engines even with turbo chargers. Laws of physics are not change for our forces. 25K ft max ceiling with a meaningful payload is what one would get.

 

[AK S]

its weight has been shaded, i think it will b successful, second will the test conducted before Aero-India or after that.

Piston engines drones can’t fly at 30K ft.

 

[The Presence]

its weight has been shaded, i think it will b successful, second will the test conducted before Aero-India or after that.

Don't believe random experts in the internet blindly. Always read the official brochure.

As per the official brochure, altitude is 28-30k ft and endurance is ~18h.

So again it's coming short of the criteria set for endurance ie 24h. The only advantage will be in its cost, because it will use 1 less engine.

 

[Akshat]

Piston engines drones can’t fly at 30K ft.

US has flown Piston engine powered drones at a height of 67000 feet. It had an endurance of 50 hours. And that was in 1980s. Another lie coming from the DRDO apologists.

 

[Bikramjeet Goswami]

US has flown Piston engine powered drones at a height of 67000 feet. It had an endurance of 50 hours. And that was in 1980s. Another lie coming from the DRDO apologists.

That I think was a manned experimental plane specifically designed for high altitude operation - that thing had hugh wings.
I don't know what engines are used in the Archer but anything approaching 20,000 feet is going to need a turbo or supercharger. 🤔

 

[Akshat]

That I think was a manned experimental plane specifically designed for high altitude operation - that thing had hugh wings.
I don't know what engines are used in the Archer but anything approaching 20,000 feet is going to need a turbo or supercharger. 🤔

Nope. It was in fact the first plane that had a fully automatic flight, from take off to landing. And if you just take the silhouettes of that plane and Rustom, you will see that they are almost identical. Go and search for it. It was a Boeing plane. That proves that the excuse that piston engines are the issue is nothing but a lie.

 

[VF VF1]

Check engine availability and also add electric power in some sense ...some hybrid engine technology for the same

 

[Krishnendu Chatterjee]

Tapas failed on two counts. Overweight when fully loaded and a weak engine with puny output. Archer NG being a smaller vehicle can make do with this engine but not match the specifications of Tapas or Predator.

 

[Bikramjeet Goswami]

Nope. It was in fact the first plane that had a fully automatic flight, from take off to landing. And if you just take the silhouettes of that plane and Rustom, you will see that they are almost identical. Go and search for it. It was a Boeing plane. That proves that the excuse that piston engines are the issue is nothing but a lie.

Found it. 🙂
The Boeing Condor...that thing had hugh wingspan too, about 200 feet across. Not a comparable platform though 30, 000 Feet is achieveable for something like the Archer. Lots of things that can be improved - aerodynamics, weight, engines. Maybe prudent to keep working on it while inducting a few now. Can't expect great things given the poor state of R&D in India.

 

[Akshat]

Found it. 🙂
The Boeing Condor...that thing had hugh wingspan too, about 200 feet across. Not a comparable platform though 30, 000 Feet is achieveable for something like the Archer. Lots of things that can be improved - aerodynamics, weight, engines. Maybe prudent to keep working on it while inducting a few now. Can't expect great things given the poor state of R&D in India.

And why are these excuses applicable to DRDO only? I mean, we are doing great things in fields like drones. Our swarm drones are second to none. In fact, we are the leaders in that category. Even China or US haven't shown any drones swarms which can work heterogenously (or at least we were the firsts to do this). Tonbo is doing some great stuff in the field of optics. L&T changed the engine and rolled out Zorawar on time. So why only DRDO? Why induct half baked products which can be dangerous for the military just for the sake of the ego of DRDO scientists?

 

[Sandeep]

It seems that India has reversed engineered the Israeli Heron drone. It will be great if the technology and capabilities are achieved as we need to 100% indigenously design, develop and manufacture our own MALE drones. India should use whatever capabilities it can in order to develop this advanced technology even if it means we have used a lot of similarities with the Israeli drone. However we have heavily upgraded and improved the drone compared to the Israeli version.

Based on the design it seems that we have given the option and ability to arm the drone which will give us a lot of flexibility as it can be used for intelligence, surveillance, acquisition and reconnaissance but also armed with missiles or bombs and EW capable. Based on these capabilities it will be acceptable for the army, navy and air force and ideal to use in theatre commands which will make training and maintenance much easier and cheaper.

 

[Bikramjeet Goswami]

And why are these excuses applicable to DRDO only? I mean, we are doing great things in fields like drones. Our swarm drones are second to none. In fact, we are the leaders in that category. Even China or US haven't shown any drones swarms which can work heterogenously (or at least we were the firsts to do this). Tonbo is doing some great stuff in the field of optics. L&T changed the engine and rolled out Zorawar on time. So why only DRDO? Why induct half baked products which can be dangerous for the military just for the sake of the ego of DRDO scientists?

The development of imaging devices and drone tech in India while commendable is highly reliant on imports - specifically Chinese imports. As for the Zorawar, while we all marvel at the quick development, it was possible only becuase they mostly used off-the-shelf components.
It is upto the government to decide if they want to build a domestic ecosystem or continue in this "happy-go-lucky" fashion. The first is going to need good planning, focus and a lot of resources for R&D. The second is only going to need a few bombastic speeches by our leaders.

As for the poor performance of DRDO, ARDE, HAL, BEML etc. its a broader failure of national policy. A bureaucratic institution cannot innovate - to omuch depends on the whims and fancies of senior officials, even the smallest descisions require multiple meetings and committees, risk taking is strictly discourged and people are "persuaded" to follow "procedure and tradition".....

 

[Radha Ramanan]

It seems that India has reversed engineered the Israeli Heron drone. It will be great if the technology and capabilities are achieved as we need to 100% indigenously design, develop and manufacture our own MALE drones. India should use whatever capabilities it can in order to develop this advanced technology even if it means we have used a lot of similarities with the Israeli drone. However we have heavily upgraded and improved the drone compared to the Israeli version.

Based on the design it seems that we have given the option and ability to arm the drone which will give us a lot of flexibility as it can be used for intelligence, surveillance, acquisition and reconnaissance but also armed with missiles or bombs and EW capable. Based on these capabilities it will be acceptable for the army, navy and air force and ideal to use in theatre commands which will make training and maintenance much easier and cheaper.

Yes bro, you are right. It's a copy of the Heron, of which we have nearly 100. This is being made with the active collaboration of Israel, that's all. It's sorry to see so many bloggers going ballistic as though it is a desi design. I get attacked for telling the truth and exposing the DRDO for nameplating the Heron. DRDO is a shameless entity that blatantly changes the name of the vehicle and calls it its own design. Just like how Rustam Damania copied the Long EZ manned ultralight of Burt Rutan and named it the Archer. I have personally seen Rustam Damania flying the kit model he imported and assembled and flew on the IISc runway in Bangalore 35 years ago.

 

[Sandeep]

Yes bro, you are right. It's a copy of the Heron, of which we have nearly 100. This is being made with the active collaboration of Israel, that's all. It's sorry to see so many bloggers going ballistic as though it is a desi design. I get attacked for telling the truth and exposing the DRDO for nameplating the Heron. DRDO is a shameless entity that blatantly changes the name of the vehicle and calls it its own design. Just like how Rustam Damania copied the Long EZ manned ultralight of Burt Rutan and named it the Archer. I have personally seen Rustam Damania flying the kit model he imported and assembled and flew on the IISc runway in Bangalore 35 years ago.

While it looks similar there is a lot of changes to the technology and capabilities which they have managed to develop indigenously which hasn’t been reverse engineered. We have just reverse engineered the drones body/fuselage at most.

Also all jets and drones has been inspired and developed from something they have seen but we have gone a step further by using our own technology to improve it even more.