TAPAS-BH-201
The Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon-201 or TAPAS BH-201 (Sanskrit: तपस्, tápas, "Heat") (formerly referred to as Rustom-II until 2016) is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed in India by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) on the lines of General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.
| 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) |
| Developed from | DRDO Rustom-H |
The first flight of the UAV took place in November 2016. On 14 January 14 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. 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.