Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator

December 18, 2023

India recently conducted a pivotal flight trial of its indigenous high-speed flying wing UAV, termed the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator.
The successful flight elevates the country into an elite league of nations that have mastered the controls for the flying wing configuration.
This UAV is designed and developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru.
The maiden flight of this aircraft was demonstrated in July 2022, followed by six flight trials in various developmental configurations using two in-house manufactured prototypes.
The aircraft prototype, with a complex arrowhead wing platform, is designed and manufactured with light-weight carbon prepreg composite material developed indigenously.
The autonomous landing of this high-speed UAV, without the need for ground radars/infrastructure/pilot, showcased a unique capability demonstration, allowing take-off and landing from any runway with surveyed coordinates.
- This was possible using onboard sensor data fusion with indigenous satellite-based augmentation using GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) receivers to improve the accuracy and integrity of GPS navigation.