In a major step for India’s defence technology sector, an Indian company has announced plans to manufacture an autonomous combat aircraft in Europe for the first time. The development marks a significant shift from India’s long history of depending on countries like Russia, France and the United States for fighter aircraft imports.

Indian defence technology company Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) has announced that it will set up its first international manufacturing hub in Portugal for its autonomous combat aircraft, Kaal Bhairava. The aircraft is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) autonomous combat platform designed for missions such as precision strikes, intelligence gathering and swarm-based warfare operations.

According to the company, Kaal Bhairava has an operational range of 3,000 kilometres and can stay airborne for over 30 hours. The aircraft is equipped with AI-powered target recognition systems, encrypted communication networks and swarm coordination capabilities. These features are aimed at improving autonomous combat and surveillance operations.

The aircraft will be manufactured in collaboration with SKETCHPIXEL LDA, a European technology company known for developing advanced fighter jet simulation systems. The company has previously worked on simulation technologies for aircraft, including the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The partnership is being seen as a major achievement because it is the first time an Indian-designed autonomous combat aircraft will be manufactured on European soil. Under the agreement, SKETCHPIXEL will support the project with simulation technologies, AI integration, communication systems and interoperability capabilities. FWDA will continue to retain intellectual property rights over the aircraft’s core autonomous systems and airframe design.

The Portugal facility will serve as the first international hub under “Operation 777”, a long-term global strategy launched by FWDA founder and CEO Suhas Tejaskanda. The initiative was first announced during the unveiling of the Kaal Bhairava platform in 2025. It aims to build manufacturing, integration and deployment partnerships for Indian-origin autonomous warfare systems across seven continents and 77 countries.

Speaking on the collaboration, Tejaskanda 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. Operation 777 is about taking our systems beyond borders with an aim to build a globally distributed defence technology network originating from India.”

He further stated that Portugal’s strategic location and its access to the NATO ecosystem would help the company strengthen its presence in European defence networks and expand collaborative opportunities in the region.

Miguel Abrue, CEO of SKETCHPIXEL, also highlighted the importance of the partnership. He said FWDA’s engineering and AI systems would be integrated with KEYDEF’s simulation, interoperability and military integration technologies. He added that both companies would jointly develop new communication systems, AI modules and interoperability solutions through laboratories based in Portugal and India.

“The key to this development is a regular exchange of teams and knowledge. We will start with the FWD Kaalabhairav project for Portugal and NATO countries,” he added.

The announcement highlights the growing international interest in Indian defence technologies and autonomous warfare systems. It also reflects India’s efforts to expand its presence in the global defence manufacturing sector through indigenous innovation and international partnerships. With the Portugal manufacturing hub, FWDA is aiming to establish a stronger foothold in Europe and create wider opportunities for Indian-designed defence systems in global markets.