Indonesia Launches an Indigenous UAV

Only revealed by PT Dirgantara Indonesia on Dec. 30 is the Elang Hitam (Black Eagle) medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV, which is offered for domestic surveillance missions countering terrorism, smuggling, piracy, forest fires and illegal logging and fishing. Dirgantara hopes to obtain a military type certificate for the craft by 2023, to include weapons carriage. Brief details available at include 24-hr. endurance; a 24,000-ft. (7,325-meter) ceiling; and a 661-lb. (300-kg) payload.