July 29th, 2025
Black Eagle Takes It's First Flight, Strong Ambition of Indonesia to Master MALE Drones
Majalengka, BandungOke.com – A domestically made combat drone has finally taken to the skies.
PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) officially conducted a flight test of the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle named Elang Hitam (Black Eagle) at West Java International Airport (BIJB) Kertajati on Monday, July 28, 2025.
This trial is not just a technical maneuver, but a marker of Indonesia's ambition to be self-sufficient in strategic air defense technology.
The flight test was conducted with the escort of PTDI's Kodiak aircraft acting as a chaser aircraft to monitor performance and ensure safety aspects. For PTDI, this is an important phase in a long process toward official certification and recognition of the national unmanned aerial system. The Elang Hitam project is not the work of a single agency.
The Black Eagle project is not the work of a single entity. It is built through a national consortium scheme involving several strategic institutions such as the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, the Indonesian Air Force, PT Len Industri, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), and BRIN, which oversees the former BPPT and LAPAN.
PTDI itself acts as the lead integrator—the main controller that leads all stages from conceptual design, prototyping, to testing.
"This is not just a flight test, but proof of mastery of key technologies, including automatic control systems and long-distance communication, which are the main requirements for MALE class PTTA," said Moh Arif Faisal, Commercial Director, Technology & Development of PTDI, as quoted on Tuesday (July 29, 2025).
This concept will be the foundation for the development of strategic drones in the future," he added.
As the first Indonesian-made MALE drone weighing more than one ton, Elang Hitam is designed to be able to fly for 24 hours at an altitude of 20,000 feet.
Its system architecture is modular and open, allowing for mission adaptation, both military such as reconnaissance and border surveillance, and civilian such as disaster mitigation and maritime patrol.
With independently developed technology, the Elang Hitam is not just a product, but a symbol of Indonesia's transition from a technology user to a design country. In the global arena, only a handful of countries—such as the United States, Turkey, and India—are able to design and produce their own MALE drones.
This step also follows the direction of the Defense Industry Policy Committee (KKIP) which emphasizes the importance of building a national defense ecosystem based on inter-agency collaboration.
The Elang Hitam, with all its complexities, reflects the potential of that ecosystem if managed sustainably.
"This aircraft is not the end, but the beginning of our technological leap. Black Eagle is the foundation of Indonesia's strategic drone industry," emphasized Arif Faisal.
If successful in passing all certification stages, Indonesia will officially join the ranks of elite MALE drone-producing countries.
The challenge now is no longer about building, but ensuring sustainability: from the production line, financing, to the favor of national policies.
Source: https://bandungoke.com/2025/07/29/elang-hitam-terbang-perdana-ambisi-kuat-indonesia-kuasai-drone-male/