India Joins Elite Club of Nations with Successful Flight Trial of Indigenous High-Speed UAV
Defence Ministry announced on Friday that a successful flight trial of an indigenous high-speed flying-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was carried out in Chitradurga, Karnataka.
“The DRDO has successfully carried out a flight trial of autonomous flying wing technology demonstrator, an indigenous high-speed flying-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from the aeronautical test range in Chitradurga,” the ministry said.
DRDO’s seventh flight test of the high-speed UAV was successful thanks to meticulous improvements in avionics systems, integration, and flight operations.
The SWiFT prototype, featuring an intricate arrowhead wing structure, was created and built using domestically developed lightweight composite materials.
This innovative material, embedded with sensors for health monitoring, embodies India’s self-reliance (“Aatmanirbharta”) in aerospace technology. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh applauded the DRDO, Armed Forces, and industry for this achievement, emphasizing its significance in strengthening the nation’s military capabilities.
The system achieved this by combining data from onboard sensors with indigenous satellite-based augmentation via GAGAN receivers for GPS navigation, enhancing its accuracy and reliability.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh praised DRDO, the armed forces, and the industry for the successful flight test. He emphasized that the effective development of such crucial technology within the country will significantly strengthen the capabilities of the armed forces.
The inaugural flight of this aircraft, crafted and engineered by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), took place in July 2022. Following this, six additional trials occurred, exploring different developmental setups with two prototypes manufactured in-house.
DRDO stated that these flight tests resulted in significant advancements in multiple areas: robust aerodynamics and control system development, integration of real-time and hardware-in-loop simulation, and the creation of a cutting-edge Ground Control Station.