India’s Tapas BH-201 UAV to Begin Flight Trials with Indigenous Engine

New Delhi, August 2025 – In a landmark step toward achieving self-reliance in unmanned aerial vehicle technology, the Tapas BH-201 UAV, developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is set to begin flight trials with a newly integrated indigenous engine.

This advancement is seen as a turning point in India’s efforts to eliminate dependence on foreign propulsion systems, moving the country closer to its vision of indigenous defence manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

The New Indigenous Engine

The new powerplant replacing imported systems is a 2.2L, 4-cylinder inline turbocharged CRDi engine, jointly developed by DRDO’s Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) in collaboration with JAYEM Automotives, a Coimbatore-based firm known for automotive technology.

Key performance features include:

• 180 horsepower at 11,000 feet altitude.

• Capability to operate up to 32,000 feet.

• FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system with redundancy to ensure safety, reliability, and fully automated operation.

This integration increases the UAV’s indigenous content to nearly 80%, strengthening India’s design-to-deployment ecosystem in unmanned aviation.

Tapas BH-201: India’s MALE UAV

The Tapas BH-201 (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon 201) is India’s first indigenous Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV, designed for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

So far, the UAV has achieved:

• Service ceiling of 28,000 feet.

• Endurance of 18 hours.

• Over 200 successful test flights, including integrated trials with the Indian Navy over sea and land.

While the system initially struggled to meet the Joint Services Qualitative Requirements (JSQRs) of 30,000 feet altitude and 24 hours endurance, upgrades—particularly in propulsion—are expected to bridge much of this performance gap.

Why This Milestone Matters

The deployment of an indigenous engine is more than just a technical upgrade—it directly addresses long-standing challenges in India’s UAV program. Until now, imported engines posed limitations in availability, maintenance, and adaptability for India’s unique operating conditions.

The new engine not only enhances operational flexibility but also strengthens supply chain security in defence systems, reducing the risk of dependency on foreign suppliers.

Upcoming Flight Trials

The certification flight trials, scheduled in the coming months, will focus on validating four critical parameters:

1. Aerodynamic performance of the UAV with the new engine.

2. Flight control system integration.

3. Propulsion performance and endurance validation.

4. Airframe structural integrity.

These trials are essential for the UAV’s airworthiness certification and eventual induction into the armed forces.

Strategic and Naval Applications

The Indian Navy has shown particular interest in Tapas for maritime surveillance missions, including deployment in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where shorter runways make specialized UAV capabilities vital.

For the Navy, the ability to operate long-range UAVs equipped with indigenous propulsion is a game-changer for monitoring sea lanes, island territories, and strategic chokepoints in the Indo-Pacific.

Catalyst for Future UAVs

The knowledge gained from the Tapas program is expected to accelerate the development of more advanced platforms, including:

• The upcoming Ghatak stealth UCAV, which will draw heavily on propulsion and control technologies proven in Tapas.

• Future MALE and HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) UAVs optimized for both defence and export markets.

Experts believe that once proven, the indigenous engine could be adapted for other UAV projects, offering India a competitive edge in the global drone market.

The integration of the indigenous engine into the Tapas BH-201 UAV marks a pivotal moment in India’s defence journey. It is not just about testing a drone—it symbolizes the nation’s maturing aerospace ecosystem, blending advanced propulsion technology, systems integration, and operational capability.

If upcoming flight trials succeed, the Tapas program could finally cross the critical threshold from development to deployment, ensuring India fields a homegrown, combat-ready MALE UAV tailored for its unique strategic needs.