India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has shown the concept of a helicopter drone called RUAV designed to carry load in high altitude regions

The concept shown at Aero India 2021 can be fitted with a surveillance payload too if desired. It can carry around 150 kg payload.

The drone is slated to enter detailed design stage soon and is based on the Indian Army requirement for a high altitude drone that can carry payload to front line troops.

HAL executives said that the RUAV concept was based on an Indian Army requirement for a multi-purpose drone that could take off and land in high altitude on helicopter landing strips. HAL's specialty being in helicopters, executing this project would be relatively easy, they said.

For this, vendors for engine and other systems had already been identified. The drone is planned to be put to test over the next 1-2 years.

Remote Unmanned Aerial Vehicle drone concept: Image Via Livefist

Endurance drones have proven to be very useful in high altitude regions. In mid-2020, China revealed its AR-500C helicopter drone capable of taking off from an elevation of 5,000 meters and a flight ceiling of 6,700 meters. It has an endurance of five hours, maximum speed of 170 kilometres an hour with a maximum take-off weight of 500 kilograms.

Chinese AR-500C drone to provide logistics support and armed reconnaissance at high-altitude China-India border region

The RUAV could sport similar features as the AR500C, though specifications of the RUAV are currently not known. There was no information brochure displayed at the show giving a hint of upcoming features.

The RUAV concept had a surveillance payload in its forward underbelly which could be an infra-red/optical seeker. The surveillance payload is needed to guide the drone through mountainous regions.