Defence

Bengaluru, February 11, 2025: Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA), a defence tech company secures India’s first global export order for its FWD 100 ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) autonomous aircraft from a Sub-Saharan nation. This momentous deal is said to place India among the elite league of global defence exporters, alongside the USA, China, Turkey, Iran and Israel. The deal was announced today at the Aero India 2025, Bengaluru, where the company also displayed the upgraded unmanned bomber with laser-graded weaponry and a 24-hour endurance capability, as shown in the image. According to the information, the FWD 100 ISR is a sub-variant of the FWD 200B and is said to be the first made in India autonomous aircraft to receive a global order. While the value of the deal remains undisclosed, the agreement includes an initial delivery of 35 autonomous aircrafts. The aircraft is entirely developed and manufactured in India at FWDA’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Electronic City, Bengaluru. This achievement not only highlights India’s growing manufacturing capabilities but also underscores its shift from being the world’s largest arms importer from last five years to entering into the top 5 exporter of advanced military technology. While speaking on the achievement, Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder and CEO of FWDA, said, “India has long been the world’s largest importer of arms, often paying ten times the cost for military technology from countries like the US and Israel. This export order marks a pivotal turning point in our nation’s history, elevating us into the exclusive league of the world’s top five defence exporters.” “This deal is not just an achievement for FWDA but a monumental step for India’s defence ecosystem. It’s a proof that we are shaping the future of global defence,” he further added. Setting a new standard in autonomous defence technology, FWD 100 ISR features, Advanced Optical Payload, for precise surveillance and intelligence gathering; impressive Specifications of 6-meter wingspan, 3.8-meter length, and 90 kg maximum takeoff weight; paired with unmatched endurance of 24-hour operational capability, ideal for critical reconnaissance missions.

Bengaluru, 10th feb 2025: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the India, iDEX and Karnataka Pavilions at Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 10, 2025. The India Pavilion is showcasing the design, development, innovation and manufacturing capabilities of the domestic defence industries through state-of-the-art products and technologies. It signifies the ‘Flight of Self-Reliance’ which encapsulates synergy among the three Services and the space sector and India’s journey towards becoming a global aerospace and defence powerhouse. After the inauguration, Raksha Mantri visited various stalls set-up in the pavilion and interacted with the representatives of the companies, inspecting their products. At the India Pavilion, more than 275 exhibits are being displayed through various mediums, represented by complete defence ecosystem of the country including Defence PSUs, design houses and private companies including MSMEs and start-ups. The exhibits at the Central Area include a striking display of marquee platforms including Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Combat Air Teaming System and Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter. At the iDEX Pavilion, leading innovators are displaying indigenously-developed products spanning a wide range of advanced domains including Aerospace, DefSpace, Aero Structures, Anti-drone systems, Autonomous Systems, Robotics, Communication, Cybersecurity, Surveillance & Tracking, Unmanned Ground Vehicles etc. The Pavilion is also featuring a dedicated section highlighting the winners of the ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX) scheme, showcasing their ground-breaking works in critical and niche technologies. Raksha Mantri unveiled three publications – iDEX Report 2024, iDEX Coffee Table Book and iDEX Finance Manual on the occasion. The iDEX Report and Coffee Table Book highlight the key milestones of the defence innovation ecosystem, celebrating the contributions of innovators & stakeholders. The iDEX Finance Manual simplifies the existing finance procedures to enhance the pace of projects, and facilitate ease of doing innovation for the iDEX winners. The Karnataka Pavilion is showcasing cutting-edge technologies from the defence and aerospace industries from the state. These innovations highlight Karnataka’s robust ecosystem in defence and aerospace, supported by over 2,000 SMEs. Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri DK Shiva Kumar was present on the occasion.

New Delhi,5th Feb 2025: Chief Operations Officer (COO), Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) Lt Gen Batoo Tshering meet Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on February 04, 2025, and held discussions encompassing a variety of issues on bilateral relations. During the talks, Raksha Mantri reaffirmed India’s readiness to support Bhutan in capability enhancement for defence preparedness, including provisioning of defence equipment and assets to augment capacities of Bhutan, as per its national priorities and in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. On his part, Lt Gen Batoo Tshering appreciated Government of India’s continued support and thanked India in assisting Bhutan in augmenting its modern defence capacities and training of RBA. He also reaffirmed RBA’s firm commitment to work closely with India in realising the shared vision for peace and prosperity in the region. COO, RBA was on an official visit to India from February 02-05, 2025. The visit is part of continued high-level engagements between the two sides and has provided an opportunity to further deepen the bilateral defence & security relations. (Courtesy: (MoD/PIB)

São José dos Campos, February 3, 2025: Embraer celebrates today 10 years of the first flight of the KC-390 Millennium, the next-generation multi-mission tactical transport aircraft. The maiden flight, which took place in Gavião Peixoto on February 3rd, 2015, lasted 1 hour and 25 minutes. It provided the crew with an evaluation of the flight characteristics and impressive performance of the KC-390 Millennium. Since then, this fly-by-wire-equipped aircraft has redefined the standards of military airlift, performing a wide range of missions in the most demanding conditions, while achieving remarkable success in global defense markets. In October 2018, the KC-390 Millennium achieved two additional significant milestones: the first flight of the first series-produced aircraft and the receipt of the Type Certificate from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). This certification marked a critical milestone towards achieving military certification and demonstrated the aircraft’s advanced technological level. “In just one decade, the KC-390 has proven to be an unbeatable combination of versatility, robustness and flexibility, steadily gaining its place in the market and becoming the ideal choice for countries looking for a multi-mission tactical military transport. This aircraft combines the best of aerospace technology with the spirit of Embraer, dedicated to excellence and performance, enabling our customers to execute their missions anytime, anywhere,” says Bosco da Costa Junior, president and CEO of Embraer of Defense & Security. Between August and September 2019, the signing of the contract with Portugal for the acquisition of five KC-390 multi-mission aircraft and the delivery of the first unit to the Brazilian Air Force marked additional important chapters in the KC-390 Millennium’s success story. In 2020, one of the most prestigious aviation magazines, Aviation Week, awarded the KC-390 Millennium the Grand Laureate in the Defense category and the Laureate Awards for “Best New Product” in the Defense category. Some days later, Hungary joined the ranks of countries that selected the KC-390 Millennium to enhance their defense capabilities with Embraer’s state-of-the-art aircraft. “The acquisition of the KC-390 by Portugal and Hungary, two leading NATO members, has enabled the KC-390 Millennium to make significant strides in Europe, showcasing the outstanding flexibility, operational efficiency, and low operating costs of this remarkable aircraft,” said Bosco da Costa Junior. In 2022, the Netherlands announced its choice for the Millennium. In 2023, Austria, the Czech Republic and the Republic of Korea also selected the KC-390, confirming the success of this game-changer platform. In 2024, Sweden, Slovakia and an Undisclosed Customer have also opted for the KC-390. Since entering operation with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, the Portuguese Air Force in 2023, and, most recently the Hungarian Air Force in 2024, the KC-390 has proven its capability, reliability, and performance. The current fleet of 10 operational aircraft – seven with the Brazilian Air Force, two with the Portuguese Air Force and one with the Hungarian Air Force – has accumulated over 16,300 flight hours, with a mission capability rate of 93% and mission completion rates above 99%, demonstrating exceptional productivity in the category. The KC-390 can carry more payload (26 tons) compared to other medium-sized military transport aircraft and flies faster (470 knots) and farther, being capable of performing a wide range of missions, such as transporting and dropping cargo and troops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, air-to-air refueling both as a tanker and a receiver, firefighting and humanitarian missions, operating on temporary or unpaved runways, such as packed earth, soil and gravel.

Ulm/Germany, 20th January 2025: Airbus Defence and Space equips in close collaboration with HENSOLDT the “German Airborne Weapon Systems Electronic Warfare Center” with new up-to-date software and hardware to provide a streamlined, service-oriented approach to improve the support of mission-specific “Electronic Warfare Mission Data” for the aircraft operated by the German Armed Forces. This joint effort ensures that weapon systems are tailored to each mission and maintain the readiness of the “German Airborne Weapon Systems Electronic Warfare Center” in face of current and future threats. The agreement starts in January 2025 and includes mission-critical software solutions. The highly integrated system will offer an increased amount of automation and allows reduced response times to the end user. Airbus` state-of-the-art operating systems will enhance usability while integrating future-proof technology compatible with advanced weapon systems. It not only paves the way for future integration with additional platforms, but also increases mission effectiveness and enables efficient mission preparation and conduction seamlessly. HENSOLDT provides essential IT services and deployable hardware for mobile operations, including server hardware and workstation computers for personnel. The collaboration between Airbus and HENSOLDT marks a significant step in strengthening Germany’s defence capabilities, ensuring mission effectiveness and readiness in a complex and technology-driven defence environment.

Delhi, 25th Nov 2024: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) launched its NeuSPHERE Innovation Acceleration Program in India. Rooted in IAI’s commitment to promoting technological leadership, the NeuSPHERE Program provides a platform for Indian deep-tech startups to co-create cutting-edge innovation, accelerate their growth and expand globally. IAI’s NeuSPHERE Innovation Acceleration Program focuses on the Indian technology startup community, in particular inventive deep-tech startups focusing on big data, signal and image processing, advanced navigation systems, AI and autonomy, XR-maintenance and training, green energy, advanced production, quantum, edge computing, Human Machine Interfaces and wearable technology. It will provide the participating Indian startups access to advanced resources and technologies, including global mentorship and guidance, networking and funding, to accelerate their market-ready solutions. Through IAI’s NeuSPHERE Program, IAI reaffirms its commitment to India’s innovation ecosystem, propelling Indian startups towards global competitiveness and technological excellence. Brig. Gen. (Res) Eytan Eshel, Executive Vice President of Technology, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), R&D and Innovation of IAI: “The NeuSPHERE Innovation Acceleration Program in India is a significant step towards fulfilling IAI’s strategic vision of collaborating with India’s startup ecosystem. We recognize the tremendous technology talent in India and are very excited about this program and to work together to help these companies scale their offerings. This program is part of our efforts to create a worldwide network of technological excellence and drive forward the future of aerospace and defense.”