Mumbai: In a landmark moment for India’s indigenous defence technology ecosystem, ideaForge Technology Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of ideaForge Technology Limited), a leading global drone technology company, has commenced a specialised UAV flight-test training programme for NATO military personnel at the prestigious National Test Pilot School (NTPS), United States.
Marking the first such initiative by an Indian UAV player, ideaForge will deploy its NATO-certified SWITCH UAV platform as part of a specialised hands-on drone flight-testing programme. The selection of an Indian organisation by NTPS reflects the country’s global recognition in advanced defence technologies and acceptance for homegrown UAV platforms in tactical use cases worldwide.
The week-long exercise, commencing on March 9, will equip NATO’s military personnel from across four continents through an immersive exercise. The key participants include the Royal Canadian Air Force, Israeli Air Force, Indian Navy, German Defence Forces (Bundeswehr), Australian Air Force, Italian Air Force, Sweden, and the United States Air Force. The programme will enhance monitoring, analysis, and tactical capabilities in mission planning and execution. Participants will undergo structured modules that will cover flight-test planning, operational deployment, telemetry monitoring, payload operations, mission evaluation, and post-flight data analysis. The exercises are designed to replicate real operational scenarios, enabling trainees to assess UAV performance across critical missions while gaining end-to-end exposure to integrated aerial systems used in diverse defence operations.
Sharing views on the training programme Ankit Mehta, CEO and Co-Founder, ideaForge Technology Ltd, said, “With the changing global order and geopolitical landscape, it is important for forces to stay updated and relevant in electronic warfare and continue upgrading and strengthening their capabilities. Training NATO military forces on an Indian-developed platform demonstrates that deep-tech innovation from India can contribute meaningfully to global defence preparedness. Also, our growing international engagements, including the strengthening partnership with First Breach for the JV, First Forge, and the emerging opportunities to work with law enforcement agencies in the United States, further reinforce the global relevance of our platforms. These developments reflect increasing confidence in Indian UAV technology and signal the expanding role of ideaForge in supporting mission-critical operations across defence and homeland security globally.”
SWITCH is known for delivering high operational performance across intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical missions. The platform is engineered to function reliably across varied terrains and extreme climatic conditions. Its lightweight hybrid design enables long-range, high-altitude, last-mile surveillance and security operations with enhanced precision.
Commenting on the collaboration, Luca Campello, President, National Test Pilot School, said, “NTPS partnered with ideaForge UAV to provide hands-on UAV flight-test training. The platform allows students to practice real flight-test planning, execution, telemetry monitoring, and data analysis in a safe and cost-effective environment. NTPS has confidence in the platform due its operational pedigree, which integrates air vehicle, sensors, datalink, and ground control station. Students are exposed to the complete systems test process, from test card development, test execution, data analysis and test reporting. NTPS greatly appreciates the professionalism and support of the ideaForge team, whose partnership helps make the training both realistic and highly effective.”
While the current programme focuses on training and testing, the collaboration opens pathways for deeper engagement between ideaForge and international defence stakeholders. Being first of its kind, this initiative creates opportunities for long-term institutional partnerships and future platform adoption.
