India’s indigenous defence innovation ecosystem marked another milestone as Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) received the silver medal at the 23rd ARCA International Exhibition of Innovation 2025, held in Zagreb, Croatia.

The award recognised the company’s Kaala Bhairava E2A2, the nation’s first AI-powered Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Autonomous Combat Aircraft.

The Kaala Bhairava E2A2 represents a breakthrough in India’s rapidly evolving AI warfare capabilities. Designed and manufactured entirely within the country, the platform integrates advanced artificial intelligence algorithms enabling autonomous mission management, precision engagement, and swarm coordination.

As a multi-role combat drone, it can undertake long-endurance missions of up to 30 hours and operate across a range of 3,000 kilometres.

FWDA’s autonomous combat drone is built as a force multiplier for future battlefield environments. Fitted with AI-enabled decision loops and multi-sensor fusion technology, the aircraft supports multi-angle precision strikes and cooperative swarm operations. It also enhances ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) redundancy, allowing seamless mission continuity even under electronic denial environments.

The system’s modular payload capacity enables adaptation across mission types, including strike missions, electronic warfare, maritime patrol, and real-time data relay. Collectively, these abilities offer a cost-effective and sovereign alternative to imported unmanned combat systems.

Speaking after the award ceremony, Suhas Tejaskanda, CEO and Founder of Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace, emphasised that the recognition validates India’s growing technological maturity in autonomous warfare systems.

“This win is not just for the company—it’s a recognition of India’s military and technological progress. Our goal remains clear – made in India, for the world,” he said, underlining the firm’s commitment to reducing foreign dependence in critical defence technologies.

Tejaskanda added that India must assert sovereign control over its strategic assets rather than relying on costly imports. The Kaala Bhairava E2A2, developed through indigenous design, manufacturing, and AI integration, underscores the strength of India’s domestic innovation ecosystem under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Organised by the Croatian Union of Innovations and supported by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA), ARCA 2025 showcased over 300 innovations from 35 participating nations. The forum is recognised as one of the most prestigious global platforms fostering collaboration among leading defence innovators, research institutions, and technology enterprises.

India’s success at ARCA highlights the increasing global credibility of its private-sector defence enterprises in the frontier fields of AI, autonomy, and advanced aeronautics.

Headquartered in Bangalore, Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace has been at the forefront of autonomous and AI-based aerial systems development. The company earlier achieved the distinction of becoming the first Indian private entity to secure DGCA type certification for an indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

In September 2024, FWDA unveiled and successfully flight-tested the FWD-200B, India’s first unmanned bomber aircraft, marking a significant step in the nation’s unmanned combat aviation roadmap. These milestones collectively signal India’s transition towards self-reliance in high-end aerial combat technologies.

The Kaala Bhairava E2A2’s success at the international level reinforces India’s capability to design, engineer, and field advanced unmanned combat systems with world-class performance and autonomy. With FWDA’s growing global recognition, India’s private defence ecosystem is positioning itself as a credible supplier and innovation hub in the field of AI-integrated aerospace platforms.

The achievement at ARCA 2025 symbolises not just a company’s triumph, but a national stride towards strategic technological sovereignty and a self-reliant defence industrial base.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)