New Delhi: As the global defence industry moves towards artificial intelligence, autonomous aircraft and new models of combat aviation, an Indian AI warfare company, raised the curtain on its vision to give India its first AI-Piloted Fighter Jet.
Marking a historic milestone in the advancement of Indian defence and aerospace industry, Bengaluru based Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA), a defence tech company, unveiled the nation’s first AI-piloted fighter jet programme, FWD Supreme, showcasing its full-scale static prototype, on Tuesday, October 13. The event was held at Le Méridien in New Delhi.
The event was graced by A Anbarasu (IAS), DG Acquisition; Air Marshal Prem Kumar, DG Weapon Systems; Lt General Puneet Ahuja, Chief of Staff, Western Command and Major General Tarun Aggarwal, ADG Acquisition Tech; also joined by Miguel Abreu, CEO of SketchPixel and Director of KEYDEF.
Being developed as an AI-powered autonomous fighter jet, FWD Supreme Heavy is specified to a 1,500 kg-plus class, with an approximate payload capacity of 350 kg. The aircraft is designed to feature a 5 kN propulsion system, a maximum speed of Mach 0.8 – 0.85 and a cruising speed of approximately 500 – 600 km/h.
Expected to have a range exceeding 1,500 km and an endurance of more than two hours, the platform is supported by satellite communications (SATCOM). The aircraft will follow a flying-wing configuration incorporating an internal weapons bay, with approximate dimensions of 10 metres by 10 metres.
While speaking during the conference, Suhas Tejaskanda, FWDA, said, “FWD Supreme represents our commitment to building advanced defence capabilities through Indian design, engineering and manufacturing. Our ambition is to develop a family of AI-piloted fighter aircraft that combines operational relevance with affordability. Through Operation 777, we aim to bring together international partners around an India-led development and manufacturing programme, while strengthening our country’s indigenous aerospace capabilities.”
“We are looking to integrate the DRDO engine to make it completely indigenous, reducing any delay and dependency on foreign components. FWD Supreme Lite which has already passed the taxi trials is 90% indigenous equipped with a made in India engine manufactured by UMS, Coimbatore”, he further added.
The programme is being developed in phases. The Lite version, said to be designed for the army, is a 250 kg-class demonstrator, which also serves as a test bed. It has already completed taxi trials and is now being prepared for its first flight in the next two months, according to FWDA.
The event also introduced the esteemed team behind FWD Supreme, who have also designed Tejas Mark1 and AMCA and are now designing FWD Supreme. The programme is being led by Girish Dixit, Secretary ADA and Control Systems expert (former DRDO scientist), and is joined by distinguished aerospace scientists including V Subba Rao, Outstanding Scientist (OS), Scientist ‘H’, Project Director, LCA Tejas programme; G Radhakrishnan, Outstanding Scientist H Airframe & Structural Systems; Mahesh Prabhakar Padwale, Outstanding Scientist H, Propulsion and Engine-Integration; R S Rao, Outstanding Scientist H, Avionics and Weapon integration collectively bringing decades of experience in military aviation, fighter aircraft development, aerospace engineering, and advanced defence technologies.
Giving heartiest congratulation for the unveiling at the event, Chief Guest, A Anbarasu (IAS), DG Acquisition, said, “It makes us happy to see that the Indian defence ecosystem is growing at a stellar pace. We are living in an extraordinary situation. The war between Russia and Ukraine has continued as the years have passed. The conflict in the Middle East began earlier this year, and we do not know what trajectory it will take.”
He further added, “In this context, looking at the cornerstone and the way forward put forth by our Honourable Prime Minister and Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister), today’s event fits very well within the policy enunciated by the Government of India. It amplifies the concept of ‘Owned by India’, producing and owning in India, and this is the direction in which we have to move forward in the coming days.”
Built and manufactured entirely in India, the programme positions India amongst the top 4 programmes that are parallel running in the globe and envisions to make advanced combat aviation more affordable through indigenous development, AI-enabled systems and scalable aircraft production.
At the core of FWD Supreme platforms is FWDA’s Mobbing Doctrine, an approach to air combat built around AI-piloted aircraft operating as a coordinated force. Instead of relying on a small number of high-value platforms, the doctrine envisions multiple autonomous aircraft working together like a swarm of jets, sharing information and making coordinated decisions in real time.
The objective is to change the economics of air combat by deploying capable, networked aircraft at scale, absorbing losses without losing the mission, and creating an operational advantage through numbers, autonomy and coordination.
The event progressed with a briefing on the programme’s development, intended applications, affordability-led approach to combat aviation and future roadmap. The next phase of FWD Supreme will focus on technology development, testing and integration, alongside the development of the wider Supreme family of aircraft.
FWDA also plans to build international aerospace and manufacturing partnerships through Operation 777, with the aim of developing an India-led ecosystem for advanced combat aviation.
