NEW DELHI, India — Bengaluru-based Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA) unveiled a full-scale static prototype of the FWD Supreme on October 13, 2026. Designed as India’s first indigenous AI-driven autonomous combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the stealthy flying-wing aircraft is engineered for long-range precision strike, electronic warfare (EW), reconnaissance, and collaborative “loyal wingman” operations alongside crewed fighters.
The program follows a two-tier developmental strategy: the 250 kg Supreme Lite sub-scale flight test demonstrator and the larger 1,000–1,500 kg Supreme Heavy operational variant. Target performance metrics for the Supreme Heavy include a maximum speed of Mach 0.85, an operational range exceeding 1,500 km, and a maximum internal payload capacity of 350 kg. Designed around an autonomous “Mobbing Doctrine,” the concept projects swarms of 15 to 20 AI-piloted drones coordinated by a single crewed fighter platform to saturate enemy air defenses. Supreme Lite has completed ground handling and taxi trials, with initial maiden flight tests targeted for late 2026.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: FWDA FWD SUPREME (HEAVY / LITE) COMBAT UAV 
* Prime Developer & Systems Integrator: Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA / Bengaluru, India)
* Platform Lineage & Variants:
* Supreme Lite: 250 kg sub-scale risk-reduction flight demonstrator (taxi trials complete)
* Supreme Heavy: 1,000–1,500 kg MTOW full-scale autonomous stealth combat platform (50% detailed design complete)
* Airframe & Structural Configuration:
* Airframe Architecture: Low-observable (LO) flying-wing planform incorporating an internal weapons bay
* Airframe Dimensions: 10.0 m length | 10.0 m wingspan
* Weight Metrics: Max Takeoff Weight (MTOW) ~1,000–1,500 kg | Internal Payload Allowance: 350 kg (~23.3% of MTOW)
* Indigenous Content Ratio: Projected 65% initial domestic content (expanding to 80–85% with indigenous propulsion)
* Propulsion & Flight Performance Profile:
* Powerplant Engine: Dual/single turbofan suite generating ~5 kN combined static thrust (evaluating DRDO Manik turbofan engine)
* Cruise Speed: 500–600 km/h | Maximum Speed: Mach 0.80–0.85
* Engagement Range & Endurance: >1,500 km range | >2 hours mission endurance
* Autonomy, Avionics & C4I Architecture:
* Flight Control & AI Suite: Proprietary onboard AI mission-management processor for autonomous pathfinding, threat recognition, and swarm allocation
* Navigation Architecture: GPS-denied visual-odometry navigation system backed by integrated Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)
* Datalinks & EW Resistance: Secure aircraft-to-aircraft (A2A) mesh networking and satellite communications (SATCOM) developed in collaboration with IISc Bengaluru
* Operational Concept (“Mobbing Doctrine”):
* Formation Ratio: 15–20 autonomous FWD Supreme drones assigned per single crewed fighter
* Force Cost Efficiency: Target production unit cost of $3M–$5M per drone (compared to ~$100M for 4.5/5th-gen crewed fighters)
