<p>Bengaluru: Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) on Tuesday announced the successful maiden flight of its unmanned bomber aircraft, the FWD 200B.</p><p>Speaking with reporters, Suhas Tejaskanda, founder and CEO, FWDA, said the indigenously built combat UAV was a key milestone in India’s run-up to self-reliance in the defence sector.</p>.In a first in six decades, Indian Navy aircraft touches down at French naval base.<p>The first flight of the UAV, at a classified location, was also showcased through a video screening at the media briefing. FWD 200B is classified as a Medium Altitude 15,000-ft, Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). It can be equipped with optical payloads for surveillance and missile-like weapons for air strikes and bombing.</p><p>The Bengaluru-based FWDA pitched the UAV as a cost-effective alternative to imported technology. Suhas noted that India has often paid “up to ten times” the cost for military technology from countries like the US and Israel.</p> .<p>The aircraft’s aerodynamics, airframe, propulsion systems, controls systems, and electronics have been designed and developed at FWDA’s manufacturing facility at Electronic City. It comes with a wingspan of 5 metres (16.4 feet) and a length of 3.5 metres (12.1 feet). With a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 102 kg, the UAV can carry a payload capacity of 30 kg, FWDA said.</p><p>The FWD 200B can operate at a cruise altitude of 12,000 feet and reach a ceiling of 15,000 feet. It can fly at a cruise speed of 152 km/h, with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The UAV has an endurance of seven hours and a range of 800 km. A runway requirement of just 300 metres allows it to operate from shorter airstrips, FWDA said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) on Tuesday announced the successful maiden flight of its unmanned bomber aircraft, the FWD 200B.</p><p>Speaking with reporters, Suhas Tejaskanda, founder and CEO, FWDA, said the indigenously built combat UAV was a key milestone in India’s run-up to self-reliance in the defence sector.</p>.In a first in six decades, Indian Navy aircraft touches down at French naval base.<p>The first flight of the UAV, at a classified location, was also showcased through a video screening at the media briefing. FWD 200B is classified as a Medium Altitude 15,000-ft, Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). It can be equipped with optical payloads for surveillance and missile-like weapons for air strikes and bombing.</p><p>The Bengaluru-based FWDA pitched the UAV as a cost-effective alternative to imported technology. Suhas noted that India has often paid “up to ten times” the cost for military technology from countries like the US and Israel.</p> .<p>The aircraft’s aerodynamics, airframe, propulsion systems, controls systems, and electronics have been designed and developed at FWDA’s manufacturing facility at Electronic City. It comes with a wingspan of 5 metres (16.4 feet) and a length of 3.5 metres (12.1 feet). With a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 102 kg, the UAV can carry a payload capacity of 30 kg, FWDA said.</p><p>The FWD 200B can operate at a cruise altitude of 12,000 feet and reach a ceiling of 15,000 feet. It can fly at a cruise speed of 152 km/h, with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The UAV has an endurance of seven hours and a range of 800 km. A runway requirement of just 300 metres allows it to operate from shorter airstrips, FWDA said.</p>