Indonesia unveils new indigenous medium altitude, long endurance UAV

The new Elang Hitam UAV from Indonesia. Photo c/o Jakarta Post.

Indonesian state-owned aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has unveiled a new indigenous medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV) during ceremonies held in PTDI's facility in Bandung on 30 December 2019.

The new UAV, which will be called the Elang Hitam (Black Eagle), is currently the largest UAV produced by Indonesia. The new UAV was built by PTDI in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MOD), Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), PT LEN Industry, and other agencies. The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) is also set to join the consortium by 2020.

The Elang Hitam UAV is expected to conduct its first flight by 2020, and become operational with the TNI-AU by 2024.

The UAV is 8.65 meters long, can fly to an altitude of up to 20,000 feet, and reach a maximum speed of 235 kilometers per hour, carry a maximum payload of up to 300 kilograms, and have an endurance of up to 30 hours.

PTDI also plan to have armed versions of the UAV, similar to the new Chinese-made CH-4 unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAV) that TNI-AU acquires recently to equip 2 UAV squadrons.


[1] Jakarta Post
[2] Tempo.co