At a defense aviation show in Paris, France, the Indian company Flying Wedge Defense and Aerospace (FWDA) introduced a loitering munition with a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles).
This unmanned aerial system (UAS), known as the FWD-LM01, is modeled after the Bangalore-based company’s family of kamikaze drones, which are designed with delta wings for strike missions that demand a long range.
A local Indian news agency, The Economic Times, reported that the aircraft is man-portable and may be assembled in less than five minutes using just basic equipment.
The FWD-LM01 has a wingspan of 2 meters (7 feet), a takeoff weight of 6 kilograms (13 pounds), and a 1.5-hour endurance.
The drone is able to fly at a height of 17,000 feet (5,182 meters) and hold up to 2 kg (4 pounds) of explosives.
It has AI-enabled features for independent targeting and navigation, as well as an electro-optical infrared sensor suite for live reconnaissance.
