DRDO carries out maiden flight of Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator| VIDEO

New Delhi, July 02: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the Maiden flight of Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator from Aeronautical Test Range at Chitradurga in Karnataka.

#DRDOUpdates | Successful Maiden Flight of Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator@PMOIndia https://t.co/K2bsCRXaYp https://t.co/brHxaH7wbF pic.twitter.com/SbMnI5tgUM

— DRDO (@DRDO_India) July 1, 2022

With this success, India's secretive unmanned combat aerial vehicle UCAV programme under which a technology demonstrator called stealth wing flying test bed (SWift) is being developed reached a milestone.

The programme is linked to the development of India's fifth-generation stealth fighter advanced medium combat aircraft or AMCA.

The flight operated in a fully autonomous mode. The aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown. This aircraft is powered by a small turbofan engine.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO. He said, it is a major achievement towards autonomous aircraft and will pave the way for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in terms of critical military systems.

Congratulations to @DRDO_India on successful maiden flight of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator from Chitradurga ATR.

It is a major achievement towards autonomous aircrafts which will pave the way for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in terms of critical military systems. pic.twitter.com/pQ4wAhA2ax

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) July 1, 2022

Powered by a small turbofan engine, the unmanned aerial vehicle is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, a premier research laboratory of DRDO. The airframe, undercarriage and entire flight control and avionics systems used for the aircraft had been developed indigenously.