Archive · 1 Oct 2026
AI-Piloted Aircraft Aim to Reduce Dependence on Airbases
Suhas Tejaskanda is developing aircraft that can fly with help from artificial intelligence.
His company wants these aircraft to operate without needing large airbases and runways.
It is studying rocket-assisted take-off for this purpose.
This could make the aircraft easier to spread out during a war.
The aircraft are intended to cost less than traditional crewed fighter jets.
The company says its smaller test aircraft should fly in the third quarter of 2026.
Its Kaal Bhairava aircraft has already completed 100 hours of flight testing.
It can take off, land, identify, track, and circle a target by itself, but a person still makes the final decision about using force.
Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace is exploring rocket-assisted take-off to reduce reliance on conventional runways.
The approach is being examined partly for Indian military requirements in high-altitude border environments.
The company says lower-cost autonomous aircraft could enable combat operations in larger numbers.
Its subscale flight demonstrator is expected to fly in the third quarter of 2026.
The Kaal Bhairava platform has completed 100 flight hours, with humans still making final engagement decisions.
- Who
- Suhas Tejaskanda and his company, Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace.
- What
- The company is developing lower-cost, AI-piloted aircraft designed to operate with less dependence on conventional airbases.
- When
- The company's subscale flight demonstrator is expected to fly in the third quarter of 2026; Kaal Bhairava has already completed 100 flight hours.
- Where
- The work is being driven partly by Indian armed forces' requirements for high-altitude environments along India's borders.
- Why
- To create aircraft that can operate without conventional runways, potentially be dispersed more widely, and be deployed in larger numbers.
- Company
- Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace
- Founder and CEO
- Suhas Tejaskanda
- Take-off approach
- Rocket-assisted take-off, or RATO
- Autonomy level
- The company describes its current work as Level Four autonomy
- Test aircraft
- Kaal Bhairava
- Flight testing
- 100 flight hours, including approximately 20 to 30 hours of autonomous flying
- Expected demonstrator flight
- Third quarter of 2026