India Performs First Flight of Its UCAV Prototype

The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of India successfully conducted a test flight of the Autonomous Winged Technology Demonstrator, a high-speed Winged Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), at the Chitradurga Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka.

The successful flight demonstration of this autonomous stealth UAV stands as a testament to the maturity in technological readiness within the country. With this tailless configuration flight, India has joined the elite league of nations that have mastered winged technology controls.

This UAV was designed and developed by the DRDO's Aeronautical Development Establishment. The maiden flight of this aircraft was demonstrated in July 2022, followed by six flight tests in various development configurations using two domestically manufactured prototypes. These flight tests led to achievements in robust aerodynamic and control system developments, real-time integrated simulation, hardware-in-loop, and state-of-the-art ground control station. The team optimized avionics systems, integration, and flight operations for the successful seventh flight in the final configuration.

The aircraft prototype, featuring a complex swept-wing platform, was designed and fabricated using locally developed lightweight carbon pre-impregnated composite material. Furthermore, the composite structure, impregnated with fiber interrogators for health monitoring, showcases India's "Make in India" proposition in aerospace technology.

The autonomous landing of this high-speed UAV, without the need for radar/infrastructure/ground pilot, demonstrated a unique capability, enabling takeoff and landing from any runway with predefined coordinates. This was achieved by utilizing onboard sensor data fusion with Indian satellite-based augmentation using GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) receivers to enhance GPS navigation accuracy and integrity.

Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh praised the DRDO, Armed Forces, and Industry for the successful test flight of the system. He stated that the successful development of such critical technologies would further strengthen the Indian Armed Forces.