India successfully conduct flight tests for its future combat drone

Asia-Pacific, News July 2, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

India has successfully conducted flight tests for its domestically produced combat drone, the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator.

India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has deemed the successful flight test as the first step towards the development of India’s local unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) industry for defense and combat purposes.

The drone has been designed by India’s Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment which works under the purview of India’s state-owned DRDO agency. The first flight test for the drone was carried out at the aeronautical test range in Chitradurga, in the southern Indian province of Katakana, on July 1. The aircraft is a scaled version of India’s upcoming Ghatak combat drone.

In a statement released by the DRDO it was stated that “Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation, and a smooth touchdown. This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is a significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defense technologies,”

The Aeronautical Development Establishment of DRDO referred to the drone as Stealth Wing Flying Testbed or SWiFT, which is a flying wing design aircraft. SWiFT is a flying wing type of aircraft which refers to a tailless fixed-wing aircraft housing its payload and fuel in its main wings and does not have a defined fuselage-like structure found in a conventional aircraft. Such design has the potential to deliver high fuel efficiency and stability. Northrop Grumman’s B-2 Spirit and Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B follow the same design feature.

According to the Indian Defense Ministry, the airframe, undercarriage, and entire controls systems, sensors, and avionics system for SWiFT have been domestically produced in India.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, “It is a major achievement towards autonomous aircraft which will pave the way for Aatmanirbhar Bharat [self-sufficient India] in terms of critical military systems.”

*^{Russian state-owned company United Engine Corporation’s NPO Saturn 36MT engine. (Image Credit: United Engine Corporation)}*

The SWiFT is powered by a Russian-made NPO Saturn 36MT engine. It completed its taxi trials in September 2021, the current test was the first time the drone took the skies with a successful result.

The Aeronautical Development Establishment will now review the flying data from the aircraft in order to assess and configure autonomous take-off and landing capabilities, retractable landing gear system, and low radar signatures. At least 10 more similar flying tests would be conducted for the prototype to have a substantial amount of data to pursue with the development of full-fledged Ghatak UAV systems.