NEW DELHI: India’s first indigenous Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Autonomous Combat Aircraft under Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative was unveiled in Bengaluru in a significant step toward the country’s goal of defence self-reliance. The AI-powered platform, named FWD Kaal Bhairava, has also secured its maiden export order worth $30 million from a South Asian country, according to its developer, Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA). Announcing the readiness of the aircraft, Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder & CEO of FWDA, said the system is “inspired by Kaal Bhairava, the eternal guardian of time,” and is capable of flying up to 30 hours with an operational range of 3,000 kilometres.Touted as India’s first autonomous combat drone in the MALE category, the aircraft is fully indigenous and powered by artificial intelligence. It is part of FWDA’s E2A2 (Economic & Efficient Autonomous Aircraft) program and designed for long-range surveillance, precision strike, and swarm warfare operations.“For decades, India relied on imported platforms like the MQ-9B Reaper and Israeli Searcher drones, often at the cost of strategic autonomy,” said Tejaskanda. “These platforms come with vulnerabilities such as embedded kill-switches and data routed through foreign servers.” He emphasised that with shifting global geopolitics and tightening defence export regulations — especially from the US —India cannot afford such digital dependency. “Sensitive data in wartime must remain within national control,” he added.The Kaal Bhairava platform, according to FWDA, offers high-end combat performance at just one-tenth the cost of its American counterparts. “Ten Kaal Bhairavas can match the reconnaissance capabilities of a single Predator, but with far lower risk and cost,” Tejaskanda noted, adding that losing a single Reaper-class drone could cost `1,000 crore, while the same investment could deploy an entire Kaal Bhairava fleet.The drone also features swarm warfare capabilities, allowing it to execute coordinated autonomous attacks, saturate enemy air defence systems, and carry out precision multi-angle strikes. Its in-house development ensures zero foreign OEM dependency, providing a secure, sanctions-proof supply chain. The system will be supported by a fully indigenous MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) ecosystem, enabling faster turnaround times, lower lifecycle costs, and uninterrupted access to spare parts.Developed under India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Kaal Bhairava is seen an important shift in country’s journey as a rising exporter of next-generation combat technology
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