DRDO-made UAV crashes in K'taka village

An indigenous Tapas unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), crashed in Karnataka's Chitradurga district on Sunday, with the DRDO attributing the incident to a technical snag. The UAV crashed in an agricultural field in Vaddikere in Challakere taluk.

- Rahul Singh

The medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV, a tactical platform for airborne surveillance, has thus far undergone more than 200 test flights. The DRDO has launched an investigation into the crash.

"The Tapas UAV was undergoing an experimental flight trial today morning from ATR (aeronautical test range) Challakere, Karnataka. During the flight, a technical snag was encountered, and the UAV crashed in a nearby farmland. The technical reason is being investigated and there is no collateral damage," the DRDO said in a statement.