India's UAV Demonstrator Crashes During Trials

In a setback to India's indigenous long-range endurance UAV program, a technology demonstrator of the Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAV, named Rustom, crashed during the first trials Nov. 16.

Sources in India's defense research agency, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), said scientists from Israeli had helped engineers from the Aeronautical Developmental Establishment, DRDO's Bangalore-based UAV laboratory, to build Rustom.

"First flight of the technology demonstrator for MALE UAV called Rustom-I took place on 16-11-2009 at the Taneja Aerospace Air Field near Hosur.

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