NEW DELHI
In a major boost to India’s defense export ambitions, indigenous AI warfare company FWDA announced a landmark manufacturing deal. Its flagship autonomous combat aircraft, “Kaal Bhairava,” will soon be produced in Europe through a strategic partnership with Portuguese defense firm SKETCHPIXEL.
This collaboration marks a historic milestone for India’s domestic tech ecosystem. Kaal Bhairava is officially one of the first Indian-designed AI combat platforms to enter the European manufacturing network. SKETCHPIXEL, famous for creating advanced fighter jet simulators for aircraft like the F-16, will provide crucial simulation technologies, AI integration systems, and NATO-compatible communications infrastructure. However, India’s FWDA will fully retain the intellectual property rights for the drone’s airframe design and autonomous systems.
Kaal Bhairava is engineered as a cutting-edge, medium-altitude autonomous combat aircraft. It boasts a massive operational range of 3,000 kilometers and can stay airborne for more than 30 hours nonstop. Built with AI-driven target recognition and swarm coordination capabilities, it represents a shift away from traditional, expensive manned fighter jets toward cost-effective autonomous airpower.
FWDA founder and CEO Suhas Tejaskanda stated that the partnership reflects growing global interest in Indian innovation. He highlighted that Portugal’s strategic location provides a gateway to NATO-linked defense networks, helping position India among the world’s leading military exporters. SKETCHPIXEL CEO Miguel Abreu added that the joint project will combine India’s deep engineering and chip analysis with European military integration systems under strict international safety and technology standards.