LAPAN LSU-02

Lore & Background

The LSU-02 was tested during the 2013 Indonesian National Armed Forces joint exercise in the Java Sea under an agreement between LAPAN and the Indonesian Navy. Launched from the helicopter deck of a corvette, its mission was to provide target surveillance for an Exocet MM40 missile. The UAV can loiter autonomously near its target, and during the exercise it flew for 2 hours and 45 minutes, covering about 200 km. It achieved a national record for the furthest distance covered by a UAV from the Indonesian World Records Museum (MURI) on 2 June 2013, when it flew a nonstop round trip from Pameungpeuk airfield in Garut Regency to Nusawiru in Pangandaran Regency, a total distance of 200 km.

In 2016, an LSU-02 was used to photograph 300 km of the coastline south of Java Island as part of a data collection project to update mapping of Indonesia's territorial coastline. It photographed Java's southern coastline from Parangtritis, Yogyakarta, to Popoh Beach, Trenggalek, East Java, and continued on Pacitan beach, East Java, covering its 100 km coastline.

In 2018, LAPAN unveiled a new version, the LSU-02 NGLD (New Generation, Long Distance), during the National Technological Expo in Pekanbaru. It broke its previous MURI record by achieving a 405 km range of flight on 17 July 2019. In 2021, LAPAN tested a hybrid VTOL version of the LSU-02 at its facility in Pameungpeuk, Garut, West Java. This VTOL version has extra rotors positioned at the front and rear ends of a spar on each wing, with an increased MTOW of 23 kg and fuel capacity of 3.8 kg, theoretically able to sustain 2.5–3 hours of flight. The LSU-02 VTOL was designed mainly for mapping, surveillance, and monitoring.

Reader's Guide

The LAPAN LSU-02 holds significance as a domestically developed UAV that set national records for range and endurance, demonstrating Indonesia's growing capability in unmanned aerial systems. Its operational history includes a joint exercise with the Indonesian Navy, where it provided target surveillance for an Exocet MM40 missile from a naval corvette, marking a practical military application. The UAV also contributed to civilian mapping efforts, photographing hundreds of kilometers of Java's southern coastline for territorial updates. The development of the LSU-02 NGLD variant, which extended its record range to 405 km, and the later hybrid VTOL version, show iterative improvements aimed at expanding its operational flexibility. The VTOL variant, with added rotors and increased payload, was designed for mapping, surveillance, and monitoring, indicating a shift toward multi-role utility. The LSU-02's legacy is tied to its role in establishing a foundation for Indonesian UAV technology, with its records recognized by the Indonesian World Records Museum and its use in both military and civilian contexts.

Did You Know?

• The LSU-02 set an Indonesian national record for the furthest distance covered by a UAV on 2 June 2013, flying 200 km nonstop.
• It was launched from the helicopter deck of a corvette during a 2013 joint exercise to provide target surveillance for an Exocet MM40 missile.
• A 2018 variant, the LSU-02 NGLD, broke its previous record by achieving a 405 km range of flight on 17 July 2019.
• A hybrid VTOL version tested in 2021 added extra rotors on wing spars and increased maximum takeoff weight to 23 kg.