Indonesia has revised its timetable on the Elang Hitam (Black Eagle) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and now wants to achieve its goal of developing it as an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) by 2022.
The UAV, which is currently in development, is scheduled to have its first flight in January 2021.The original plan was to introduce an unarmed reconnaissance UAV and then start work in 2022 on developing it into an UCAV by 2024. President Joko Widodo’s comments in February this year, that the UCAV will be developed by 2022, indicate that Elang Hitam will be developed directly as a full combat-capable UCAV that will launch a precision strike with guided munitions.
In order to accelerate the development of Elang Hitam into an UCAV, the Indonesian government is looking for weapon systems that will be carried by Elang Hitam, even as development of the UAV continues. Media reports indicate that Indonesia is interested in smart ammunition from Turkey’s Roketsan corporation. The company produces two variants of MAM laser guided glide bomb – the MAM-C with High Explosive (HE) warhead, and the thermobaric warhead MAM-L. The possibility of Elang Hitam carrying other guided rocket types, such as CIRIT from Roketsan, also cannot be discounted.
The locally designed and manufactured Elang Hitam UAV, a Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) drone, is being developed by Konsorsium Pesawat Terbang Tanpa Awak (PTTA – Unmanned Aircraft Consortium). The PTTA consortium was established in 2017 and consists of Research and Development Agency (Balitbang) and Directorate General of Defense Potential (Pothan) under the Indonesian Defense Ministry, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN – joined in 2019) and two state owned enterprises: PTDI and PT Lembaga Elektronika Nasional Industri (PT Len Industri – National Electronic Institute Industry).
Work on the Elang Hitam UAV started in started in 2015 following an agreement between the Research and Development department of the Indonesian Defense Ministry and the Indonesian Air Force. Two models of the UAV were used in wind tunnel tests, the first in 2016 and then in 2018.
On Dec. 30, 2019, inside a hangar located within the PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) complex in Bandung, the consortium unveiled its prototype of the UAV. There are five development stages – Elang Hitam 1 to 5 (EH-1 to EH-5). The development of the UCAV will take place in stages EH-4 and EH-5.
SITA on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Materna IPS, a company that is involved in passenger handling for airports and…
AirFi has announced that its AirFi LEO low-Earth orbit in-flight connectivity will be installed on 50 aircraft during the first…
Airbus UpNext, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus, has started testing new technologies to support automatic taxiing and enhance pilot assistance…
KNDS Deutschland and General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) are presenting AGM on Piranha Heavy Mission Carrier at the Future…
Airbus Helicopters, LCI, a leading aviation company, and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company (SMFL), have announced an order for…
Saudi Arabia's National Industrial Development Center (NIDC), AHQ Group and Embraer have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to discuss…
Iberia will be launching the new Airbus A321XLR, as it will receive the first A321XLR on the market by the…
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted certification of a new Combi interior conversion option for the passenger variant of…
EDGE Group and Fincantieri have inked an agreement to launch MAESTRAL, a shipbuilding Joint Venture (JV) based in Abu Dhabi,…
Indra recently unveiled a new 360 vision system, integrating artificial intelligence (AI), designed to enhance the situational awareness and operational…
Saudia Group, comprising Saudia and flyadeal, has finalised an order for an additional 105 A320neo Family aircraft, bolstering its fleet…
Korean Air has announced a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop an AI Contact Center (AICC) platform…
The Italian Navy recently launched the Logistic Support Ship (LSS) "Atlante" at the Fincantieri shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia. This…
Embraer, in collaboration with the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) of the Brazilian Air Force, headquartered in São…
Embraer, Eve Air Mobility and Groupe ADP (Aéroport de Paris) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that focuses on…
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) held an anointing ceremony for its newest Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ship, HTMS Chang (792),…
SriLankan Cargo, the freight division of SriLankan Airlines, has partnered with digital freight solutions provider CargoAi to enhance its airfreight…
Northrop Grumman has signed an agreement for access and use of NVIDIA AI software to accelerate development of some of…
The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $451 million contract to recapitalize additional M270 systems expanding its domestic fleet…
Japan Airlines announced the unveiling of a captivating special livery on its Boeing 787-8 aircraft (registration JA823J) for its international…
Airbus Defence and Space, leading the Eurodrone programme, has concluded the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) milestone. This achievement, overseen by…
Gauzy, a company specializing in vision and light control solutions, is gearing up to unveil its latest innovations at the…
The German Heron TP (GHTP), developed by UAV PEO at the Directorate of Defense Research and Development at the Israeli…
AirFi announced its partnership with United Enterprise (UE) to establish AirFi China, located at Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, China.…
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is likely to accept the continuation of the S26T submarine project with Chinese CHD 620…
The Indonesian Air Force (TNI Angkatan Udara / TNI AU) received its fifth and final C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at…
The all-new Gulfstream G700 has received European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification, following the aircraft's Federal Aviation Administration…
The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has confirmed that South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is entering Subic,…
The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has dispatched 1,380 personnel to partake in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2024 (CARAT…
The 737 MAX series aircraft has been added to its Dothan, Alabama MRO facility certification, Commercial Jet Services has said.…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.