Bengaluru-based defense tech firm gets export orders for unmanned aircraft

Defence tech company Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) on Thursday announced it has secured India’s first global export order for its FWD 100 ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) autonomous aircraft from a Sub-Saharan nation.

This deal would place India in the league of global defence exporters, alongside the USA, China, Turkey, Iran and Israel, a statement said.

The deal was announced at Aero India 2025 where the company also displayed the upgraded unmanned bomber with laser-graded weaponry and a 24-hour endurance capability, as shown in the image, the statement said.


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 manufacturing facility in Electronic City, Bengaluru, the statement said.

FWDA founder Suhas Tejaskanda 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. It’s a proof that we are shaping the future of global defence,” he added.