The FWD 200B is equipped with optical payloads for surveillance and missile-like weapons for air strikes and bombing.
Bengaluru-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and component private manufacturing company, Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA), on Tuesday announced its successful maiden flight of India’s first indigenous unmanned bomber aircraft, the FWD 200B, marking a milestone in the country’s defence sector.
The UAV is classified as a Medium Altitude (15000 ft), Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) . The FWD 200B is equipped with optical payloads for surveillance and missile-like weapons for air strikes and bombing.
FWD 200B features a wingspan of 5 meters (16.4 feet) and a length of 3.5 meters (12.1 feet), making it compact yet powerful. Despite its size, the aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 102 kg and can carry a payload capacity of 30 kg, making it capable of conducting significant missions with precision.
Operating at a cruise altitude of 12,000 feet and reaching an absolute ceiling of 15,000 feet, the FWD 200B can fly at a cruise speed of 152 km/h, with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. Its operational versatility is further highlighted by its runway requirement of just 300 meters, allowing it to operate from shorter airstrips.
With an endurance of 7 hours and a range of 800 km, the FWD 200B ensures extended mission capabilities, providing substantial coverage without the need for frequent refueling or landing.
The FWS 200B was tested at a classified location, and the first flight is touted as the fulfillment of India’s long-awaited dream of producing a combat UAV domestically right from the subsystems.
Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder & CEO of FWDA, told reporters, “India is the world’s largest importer of arms in the last five years, and has often paid up to ten times the cost for military technology from countries like the US and Israel. The successful flight of the FWD 200B is not just an achievement for our company, but a victory for the entire nation.”
Turkey’s denial of the Bayraktar UAV to India and the US Predator deal on hold for two years, the indigenous aircraft has come as a significant development.
The aircraft’s aerodynamics design, airframe, propulsion systems, controls systems, and electronics are all made indigenously at FWDA’s 12,000 sq.ft manufacturing facility at Electronic City in Bengaluru.
“This landmark achievement follows years of persistent efforts to develop a combat UAV indigenously, overcoming challenges which had previously hindered similar initiatives by leading defence agencies,” Tejaskanda added.
FWD 200B specifications
Wingspan: 5 meters (16.4 feet)
Length: 3.5 meters (12.1 feet)
Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW): 102 kg
Payload Capacity: 30 kg
Cruise Altitude: 12,000 feet
Absolute Ceiling: 15,000 feet
Cruise Speed: 152 km/h
Maximum Speed: 250 km/h
Runway Requirement: 300 meters
Endurance: 7 hours
Range: 800 km
source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)