Bengaluru-based defense technology startup Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) has made a significant advancement in India’s defense capabilities with the introduction of the country’s first medium altitude long endurance (MALE) autonomous combat aircraft, named FWD Kaal Bhairava. This drone is equipped with artificial intelligence and boasts an impressive flight capacity, allowing it to operate for up to 30 hours and cover a distance of 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles).
The introduction of the Kaal Bhairava is designed with multiple operational purposes in mind, including long-range surveillance, precision strikes, and swarm operations, providing India with a much-needed indigenous option in the MALE category. Suhas Tejaskanda, founder and CEO of FWDA, emphasized the importance of this development, noting that India has long depended on imported platforms such as the MQ-9B Reaper and Israeli Searcher drones. These imports have often jeopardized strategic autonomy and presented vulnerabilities, including embedded kill-switches and data management through foreign servers.
Given the backdrop of increasing India-US trade tensions and issues related to Russian oil imports, Tejaskanda articulated a strong case for reducing reliance on foreign suppliers for essential defense technologies. He highlighted the critical nature of maintaining sensitive wartime data under national control, underscoring that past acquisitions, including a $4 billion deal for 31 MQ-9Bs, have raised concerns regarding sovereignty.
The Kaal Bhairava promises to deliver comparable capabilities to the MQ-9B at a fraction of the cost—Tejaskanda stated that it could achieve similar reconnaissance capabilities for one-tenth the price. Notably, he pointed out that deploying ten Kaal Bhairavas could match the reconnaissance potential of a single Predator drone while significantly reducing both risk and expenses.
In terms of components, the Kaal Bhairava stands out with 80 percent of its parts sourced locally, ensuring a secure and sanction-proof supply chain. To further enhance the operational efficiency of the drone, FWDA is establishing an indigenous maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem designed to facilitate quicker return-to-service times, lower lifecycle costs, and consistent access to spare parts.
In addition to the Kaal Bhairava, FWDA is also working on a loitering munition capable of a 100-kilometer (62 miles) range and is developing an unmanned bomber aircraft with an impressive operational range of up to 800 kilometers (497 miles). These advancements solidify India’s position in the defense technology landscape and mark a significant step toward self-reliance in military capabilities.
