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Made in Indonesia: First long-range military drone unveiled in Bandung
The first Indonesia-made medium-altitude long-endurance UAV was unveiled to the public in Bandung, West Java, on Monday.
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A number of invited guests closely examine a prototyple of a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone developed by a consortium of Indonesian companies, ministries, agencies and educational institutions. The MALE was unveiled to the public at a hangar of PT Dirgantara Indonesia in Bandung, West Java, on Monday. (JP/Arya Dipa)
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ndonesia can now be included on the list of countries producing long-range military drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
While various companies in Indonesia have been producing drones for both civilian and military purposes, this would be the first medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV to be produced by the country. Vehicles in this category are designed to fly at altitudes of between 3,000 and 9,000 meters for extended lengths of time.
The UAV’s airframe, with wings that span 16 meters, was revealed in the hangar of state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) in Bandung, West Java on Monday.
The drones would be designed according to the requirements and objectives provided by the Indonesian Air Force, PTDI president director Elfien Goentoro has said. He added that the Air Force had requested the UAV to have a maximum flight time of 30 hours and a maximum cruising speed of 235 kilometers per hour.
The drone, which is designed to carry 450 liters of fuel, can carry a maximum payload of 30 kilograms. It is to use an aircraft engine made by the Rotax company of Austria.
Development of the vehicle was initiated in 2015 by a consortium consisting of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the Defense Ministry, the Indonesian Air Force, the Bandung Institute of Technology, PTDI and PT Len Industri.
The consortium has also been supported by the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan), which is experienced in producing smaller UAVs such as the LSU-02.
