India's AI Combat Aircraft 'Kaal Bhairava' to be Manufactured in Europe

NEW DELHI: In a sign of make-in-India products going global, India’s first AI combat aircraft ‘Kaal Bhairava’ will now be manufactured in Europe. Indian AI warfare company FWDA on Thursday announced that its AI combat aircraft will be manufactured in Portugal in partnership with SKETCHPIXEL, a European company known for building advanced fighter jet simulation systems for aircraft such as the F-16 fighter jet. Under the agreement, SKETCHPIXEL will contribute simulation technologies, AI integration, communications systems and interoperability capabilities for the platform, while FWDA will retain intellectual property rights to core autonomous systems and airframe design. Kaal Bhairava is a medium-altitude long-endurance autonomous combat aircraft with a range of 3,000 km and endurance of 30+ hours. The platform features AI-driven target recognition, swarm coordination capabilities and encrypted communication systems. Unlike traditional aerospace models centred on high-cost platforms, the AI warfare company is building an ecosystem of autonomous airpower, swarm systems and next-generation air defence. Speaking on the partnership, Suhas Tejaskanda, founder and CEO of FWDA, said, “This collaboration reflects growing international interest in Indian-designed autonomous systems and demonstrates the potential for Indian warfare technologies to participate in global manufacturing ecosystems. “Portugal’s strategic location and access to the NATO ecosystem will further our access to European defence networks, collaborative opportunities and global deployment pathways. The larger vision is to help position India among the world’s top defence exporters,” he added. Miguel Abrue, CEO of SKETCHPIXEL, said, “Each step of FWD's deep engineering, cutting-edge electronics, AI and chip analysis will be brought together with KEYDEF's simulation, AI, interoperability, and military integration capabilities— from the structural design, board design, and construction, firmware development, communications, control, and validation are performed under complete control, ensuring maximum standards of safety, resilience, and technological sovereignty. The new communication systems, LVC interoperability, and AI modules will be coded together in KEYDEF's laboratories in Portugal and FWD's in India. The key to this development is a regular exchange of teams and knowledge. We will start with the FWD Kaal Bhairava project for Portugal and NATO countries.”