Bengaluru: In a defining leap for India’s defence landscape, Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) August 22 announced the readiness of the nation’s first fully indigenous, export-ready Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Autonomous Combat Aircraft. The event took place at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru.
Inspired by Kaal Bhairava, the eternal guardian of time, the platform is designed, developed and manufactured entirely on our home soil. The aircraft is engineered to deliver an endurance of up to 30 hours and a range of 3000 kms.
After the video screening of the test flight, the company announced that the platform has secured a landmark export order from a South Asian nation of $25 million as a part of a $30 million total strategic deal. This development showcases the world’s growing reliance on Indian innovation to secure their skies and positions India as a leading defence innovator and trusted supplier of advanced AI warfare platforms.
Speaking at the occasion, Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder & CEO of FWDA, said, “For decades, India has relied on foreign systems like Predator and Israeli Searcher models, but at a high strategic cost, from embedded kill-switch vulnerabilities to critical flight data routed through external servers. The global geopolitical landscape is shifting rapidly. India’s strategic relations with the US have taken a new turn this year, given that the much-touted defence deal signed last year should be revisited.”
“With tightening US defence regulations and shifting global policies, India cannot afford digital dependency during wartime. Dependence on foreign systems could limit India’s strategic autonomy, as sensitive operational data may be routed through external networks and remain accessible to overseas agencies,” he added.
Built under the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the FWD Kaal Bhairava E2A2 (Economic & Efficient Autonomous Aircraft) delivers advanced AI powered combat readiness at just one-tenth the cost of Predator-class systems like the MQ-9 Reaper. Unlike expensive imports that bring logistical hurdles and vulnerabilities, Kaal Bhairava offers superior combat value and resilience. Equipped with swarm warfare capabilities, the platform enables multi-angle precision strikes and saturates enemy air defence systems by deploying coordinated autonomous swarms making it a force multiplier for future warfare.
Specifications:
Series: E2A2 (Economic & Efficient Autonomous Aircraft)
Configuration: Twin Boom
Wing Span: 6.5 Metres (Tip to tip)
Payload: 91 kg payload (EOIR+ missiles / laser guided rocket + fuel)
Altitude: Flight altitudes of 20,000 ft.
Range: 3000 Kms with SATCOM
Endurance: Up to 30 hours
LOS: 150 Kms
Ceiling Height: 20,000 feet above sea level
Take-off and Landing Requirement: Short prepared runway required (STOL capable)
Cruise Speed: 42 m/s (MSL), 52 m/s (at 15,000 ft)
Maximum Speed: 80 m/s
AI Powered Autonomy: Adaptive targeting, autonomous flight pathing and live combat decision-making
Talking about battlefield economics, ten Kaal Bhairavas can match the reconnaissance power of a single Predator at a fraction of the cost. While losing a Predator can cost up to Rs 1000 crore, the same investment can field an entire Kaal Bhairava fleet, ensuring no single loss cripples mission capabilities.
Additionally, FWD Kaal Bhairava provides a zero foreign OEM dependency with every key technology developed in-house, ensuring a secure, sanctions-proof independent supply chain with no operational bottlenecks. The autonomous aircraft offers a fully indigenous MRO ecosystem, enabling faster turnaround, lower lifecycle costs, and uninterrupted access to critical spares.
Designed as a sovereign, modular, and exportable alternative to existing expensive foreign systems, the export ready platform marks India’s shift from being one of the world’s largest arms importers to an emerging global exporter of next-generation defence technology.
“Kaal Bhairava stands as the trusted Guardian Beyond Time, an AI-powered sentinel securing nations’ skies, inspiring global trust, extending its strategic reach, and redefining the future of autonomous warfare,” added Tejaskanda.
With this strategic leap, the company envisions its global expansion and is ready to launch Mission 777, an ambitious plan to establish seven global headquarters across seventy-seven countries within the next five years, reinforcing India’s leadership in AI-powered warfare.
Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) is India’s pioneering AI warfare and autonomous combat aircraft company, headquartered in Bengaluru. Founded in 2022 by Suhas Tejaskanda, the company was established with a bold vision- to minimise India’s dependency on costly air defence imports and to propel the country towards self-reliance in cutting-edge aerospace innovation.
The company made history by becoming the first Indian firm to secure DGCA type certification for an indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and soon after, unveiled India’s first unmanned bomber aircraft, the FWD-200B, which successfully completed its maiden flight on September 3, 2024, a landmark moment in India’s defence and aviation history.
Beyond defence, FWDA has also developed patented AI-ML embedded drones with real-time analytics for agricultural applications, furthering its commitment to dual-use innovation. With a strong portfolio of autonomous strike systems, killer drones, and scalable unmanned solutions, FWDA envisions positioning India not just as a consumer, but as a global hub for next-generation AI warfare and combat UAV manufacturing.
