Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA), a Bengaluru-based Indian AI warfare company, has completed 100 cumulative hours of flight testing of its indigenous FWD Kaal Bhairava Lite aircraft.
The milestone comes as the Indian Navy examines requirements for long-range, ship- and shore-launched loitering munitions.
Tested in challenging conditions
Designed and manufactured in India with an 80% indigenisation rate, Kaal Bhairava Lite has undergone flight testing in demanding weather conditions, including 25-30 knot gusts over the Bay of Bengal.
The testing generated flight data on aircraft behaviour and control in challenging wind conditions. The platform has also completed a demonstration in Jammu & Kashmir, supporting its development for multi-terrain defence operations.
The aircraft is configured as a 1,200-km-class platform with 8-10 hours of endurance. During testing, it demonstrated a climb rate of 7-8 metres per second and cruise speeds of 100-120 kmph. Its take-off and landing distance is less than 120 metres.
FWDA Founder and CEO Suhas Tejaskanda said the 100 hours of flight testing had provided extensive validation of the indigenous aircraft architecture.
“Kaal Bhairava has demonstrated its short-field capability, strong climb performance and operation in demanding wind conditions,” he said.
Pneumatic-assisted launch
FWDA is developing a pneumatic-assisted launch configuration for Kaal Bhairava Lite aimed at enabling deployment from ships and austere locations without conventional runway infrastructure.
The development is being evaluated against emerging naval requirements for long-range ship- and shore-launched loitering munitions. According to FWDA, the Indian Navy’s current request for information (RFI) seeks a system with a range exceeding 1,000 km and more than nine hours of endurance.
The company is evaluating the Kaal Bhairava architecture for potential adaptation to these requirements.
Overseas expansion
FWDA said the Kaal Bhairava programme has generated interest from Indian and international markets. The company has previously secured an export order from a South Asian country.
It has also established its first international manufacturing node in Portugal, which it sees as a strategic entry point into the European market and a potential base for accessing opportunities across the wider European and NATO defence ecosystem.
With the flight-test programme advancing, FWDA is positioning Kaal Bhairava Lite as an Indian-developed long-range autonomous aircraft platform for domestic and international defence requirements.