September 20th, 2026
The Black Eagle Drone is Pursuing Certification by 2027 and is Proposed to be Included in National Strategic Projects.
Here is the full text of the article in English:
The Black Eagle Drone is Pursuing Certification by 2027 and is Proposed to be Included in National Strategic Projects
BY RNS · SEPTEMBER 20, 2026
AIRSPACE REVIEW – After a long time of silence, the Black Eagle, which is touted as the first MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) drone made by the nation's children, was exhibited by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) at the TNI Fair event in the National Monument (Monas) area on September 19-20, 2026.
The drone was displayed in the outdoor exhibition area at the Indonesian Ministry of Defense (Kemhan) booth, which showcases a number of domestic defense industries. Its size makes it appear smaller, as it's a 1:2 scale mockup.
PTDI's VP of Business Development & Marketing, Heber MF Panjaitan, said that the status of the Black Eagle MALE drone has been proposed as a national strategic project and is in the process of pursuing certification from the Ministry of Defense in 2027.
"So, we've just proposed the Black Eagle MALE drone for inclusion in the national strategic project. We conducted its first test flight in August 2025 at Kertajati Airport in Majalengka, but it hasn't yet received certification from the Ministry of Defense. The target is next year," Heber told Airspace Review at the exhibition.
Heber added that the development of the Black Eagle drone faced several obstacles, particularly related to budget. So far, the drone's development and maintenance have been funded independently by PTDI.
"Development is still ongoing, but we can't accelerate. We've also submitted a proposal to Danantara for additional investment in the development," Heber said.
Operational Target for 2028
Talking about operational targets in 2028, in line with the Ministry of Defense's strategic plan, PTDI is optimistic that it can pursue MALE drone certification.
However, it is acknowledged that PTDI must build another prototype for flight testing and other purposes according to the design and this requires additional funding.
Currently, PTDI has only manufactured two Black Eagle drones. The first is a mockup drone displayed during the initial rollout in 2019, and the second is a prototype used for its first test flight in 2025.
"We are still maintaining this flight test prototype, including the engine, flight control system, ground control station, and onboard systems," Heber explained.
Regarding the issue that the development of the Black Eagle drone has been diverted to the civilian market, Heber said that is not entirely true.
It was emphasized that the MALE Black Eagle specifications developed by PTDI were for military needs.
As for development for civilian needs, this is a market opportunity that can be further collaborated on, for example with the Ministry of Forestry or other agencies.
"This civilian demand represents an opportunity for the existing MALE market share, so it's not being diverted from military to civilian needs," Heber emphasized.
Technical Specifications and Capabilities of the Black Eagle Drone
The Black Eagle is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with MALE capabilities developed by PTDI together with a national consortium to strengthen Indonesia's defense technology independence.
Specifically designed to carry out Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions and can be equipped with weapons (weaponized), this drone plays a strategic role in monitoring border areas, outermost regions, and securing maritime routes from various threats of infiltration and illegal activities.
In terms of design and size, the Black Eagle comes with dimensions that are relatively large for a combat and surveillance drone class.
This aircraft has a length of 8.73 meters, a height of 3.27 meters, and a wingspan of 16 meters with a wing area of 12.8 square meters.
With a maximum takeoff weight (Max Gross Take-Off Weight) and landing weight of 1,300 kg, this drone is capable of holding a fuel capacity of up to 420 liters and carrying a payload of up to 300 kg to transport various radar sensors and weapons systems.
The Black Eagle's cruising range and flight efficiency are also highly reliable for supporting long-endurance operations.
This drone is capable of staying in the air (endurance) for up to 30 hours with an operational Line of Sight (LOS) radius of up to 250 km.
The Black Eagle is designed to operate at a cruising altitude of 3,000 to 5,000 meters with a maximum ceiling of 7,200 meters.
In terms of speed, this drone has a cruising speed between 50 to 180 km/h and is capable of reaching a maximum cruising speed of up to 235 km/h.
For runway operations, the Black Eagle requires a takeoff and landing distance of less than 1,000 meters at maximum weight at sea level.
This combination of superior specifications makes the Black Eagle a symbol of progress and a bulwark that guards the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia in the skies. (RNS)
Source: https://www.airspace-review.com/2026/09/20/drone-elang-hitam-kejar-sertifikasi-di-tahun-2027-diusulkan-masuk-proyek-strategis-nasional/?fbclid=Iwb21leAUcJXJjbGNrBRwlSnBkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEePqS94T4WhhQhLbWp4jGTJpTeYR1ddv