SOURCE: AFI
Indian aerospace witnessed a historic moment today with the unveiling of the FWD-200B, India’s first indigenously developed military-grade bomber Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This marks a significant achievement for Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace Technologies (FWDA), a Bengaluru-based company, and a major leap forward for India’s defense capabilities.
“For over 15 years,” declared Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder of FWDA, “India’s pursuit of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) remained a distant dream, despite significant investment and repeated attempts. Today, India not only fulfills this dream but also joins a league of nations with advanced combat aircraft capabilities.”
MTOW ofFWD-200B is around 498Kgs and has a operational range of 200kms and endurance of 10-13 hours. The bomber designation indicates its potential to carry and deploy weapons. Notably, visuals showcased to the press depicted a plywood model with four propellers powered by Gasoline engine, hinting at the UAV’s potential configuration.
Further details regarding the FWD-200B’s flight testing, operational deployment, and final design are awaited. However, one thing remains clear: India’s foray into indigenous bomber UAVs marks a turning point in the nation’s defense journey.