Bengaluru-based defense technology startup Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace has revealed India’s maiden medium altitude long endurance (MALE) autonomous combat drone. Named FWD Kaal Bhairava, the aircraft is powered by artificial intelligence and can operate continuously for 30 hours, covering distances of up to 3,000 kilometers.
The indigenous platform is tailored for long-range surveillance, precision strikes, and swarm missions, giving India a homegrown solution in the MALE drone category. With nearly 80 percent of its components locally manufactured, the system ensures strategic autonomy and a resilient supply chain, reducing risks of foreign sanctions.
Flying Wedge has also created a domestic maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem, aiming to cut lifecycle expenses, guarantee reliable spare parts availability, and deliver faster turnaround for deployed assets.
Beyond the Kaal Bhairava, the company’s growing portfolio includes a 100-kilometer-range loitering munition and a next-generation unmanned bomber aircraft under development, designed to achieve an operational range of up to 800 kilometers.
