{
  "id": 9626080,
  "title": "India’s homegrown AI-powered combat aircraft hits 100-hour flight test milestone",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/indias-homegrown-ai-powered-combat-aircraft-hits-100-hour-flight-test",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-24T20:10:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/defence/news/indias-homegrown-ai-powered-combat-aircraft-hits-100-hour-flight-test-milestone/articleshow/134469752.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's AI-powered combat aircraft, the FWD Kaal Bhairava Lite, has successfully completed a significant milestone in its development - 100 cumulative hours of flight testing. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), designed and manufactured entirely in India with an 80% indigenisation rate, showcased its capabilities in challenging weather conditions and multi-terrain environments. The advanced platform is built to ensure complete data sovereignty and eliminate external kill-switch risks, offering a cost-effective alternative to comparable Predator-class UAV systems. With a design capable of a 1,200-km range and 8-10 hours of endurance, the Kaal Bhairava has the potential to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy and international markets. The development of this indigenous AI-powered UAV comes as the Indian Navy explores long-range ship- and shore-launched loitering munitions, with a recent Request for Information searching for a system exceeding 1,000 km range and 9+ hours of endurance. The Kaal Bhairava programme has garnered interest from multiple parts of India and international markets, with a $25 million export order secured from a South Asian country and the establishment of the company's first international manufacturing node in Portugal.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}