Watch: First Flight Of India’s Stealth Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator Carried Out Successfully

In a critical step towards the development of a stealth combat drone, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the first flight of the Stealth Wing Flying Testbed’ (SWiFT).

SWiFT has been developed as a technology demonstrator for India's secretive steal combat drone called Ghatak.

“Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown,' the DRDO said after the SWiFT's first flight.

"This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies," the agency added in its statement.

Last year, reports said that the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, a Chennai-based lab of the DRDO, has handed over retractable landing gear systems for SWiFT.

In a technology bulletin released in October 2020, the DRDO had said that it had completed the designing of the landing gear for the programme and the manufacturing of the airworthy components was under progress.

"SWiFT UAV is a Technology Demonstrator and is a scaled-down version of Ghatak UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle). The main intent of SWiFT UAV is to demonstrate and prove the stealth technology and high-speed landing technology in autonomous mode," the DRDO has said.

Also Read: Maiden Flight Test Of India’s Stealth Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator Carried Out Successfully