India on Friday carried out the maiden flight of the ‘Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator’, a critical step towards the country’s plans to have a full-fledged stealth combat drone.
The test of the demonstrator, also known as the ‘Stealth Wing Flying Testbed’ (SWiFT), was successfully conducted from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka.
The demonstrator, which looks like the mini version of a US B-2 stealth bomber, has a similar “flying wing” configuration. This enables it to carry more fuel and remain in air for a longer duration. It also gives the aircraft less radar signature.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRD0) said the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way-point navigation and a smooth touchdown while operating in a fully autonomous mode.
The DRDO added: “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 defence technologies.”
There was no confirmation on how long the flight was.
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a research laboratory under DRDO.