Picture of DRDO built SWIFT UCAV's first taxi trials breaks cover

Source : RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

At the inaugural session of the IAF Conclave in Bengaluru, DRDO showcased the first picture of the Stealth Wing Flying Testbed (SWiFT) from the concluded Low and high speed that had started mid of this year. Stealth Wing Flying Testbed (SWiFT) is a Technological Demonstrator project to bridge the technology gaps towards the design and development of the Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft (RPSA).

SWiFT is a 1-ton All Up Weight (AUW) that is powered by a Russian NPO Saturn 36MT turbofan engine. SWiFT is seen equipped with a C-band link, UHF, and VHF antenna. DRDO plans to develop a stealth RPSA powered by a 46kN Dry Kaveri engine with a 13-ton All Up Weight (AUW) for deep strike missions over hostile and heavily contested air space. DRDO already has received seed money for the RPSA program and the development of SWiFT is to prove research and development before the development of the RPSA program can begin.

GTRE Plans to validate the Dry Kaveri engine in the next 3-4 years before it can be validated on the Prototype of the RPSA by 2025. Both Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy are supporting the RPSA program that will likely enter production around 2030 onwards. The Navy also has plans to develop a deck-based variant of the RPSA.

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