India’s push toward next-generation autonomous warfare capabilities has received a major infrastructure boost with the establishment of a dedicated aerospace testing and integration centre for the ambitious Ghatak stealth combat drone programme.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), operating under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is setting up a specialised Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre in Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Satya Sai district. The facility is expected to become operational within a year and will serve as the central hub for assembling, integrating, validating, and flight-testing India’s premier indigenous Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), the Ghatak.
Defence officials describe the upcoming complex as one of the most advanced aerospace testing facilities planned in the country. It is expected to play a critical role in shaping the future of the Indian Air Force’s unmanned combat aviation fleet by consolidating multiple stages of development and operational testing under one roof.
The centre will focus on integrating complex onboard systems, evaluating mission-critical software, validating stealth technologies, and testing autonomous flight capabilities. It will also support future projects linked to artificial intelligence-driven aerial combat systems and next-generation autonomous platforms.
The Ghatak project, previously conceptualised under the Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft (AURA) programme, represents India’s most ambitious attempt to develop a domestically designed stealth strike drone capable of penetrating heavily defended enemy airspace without risking human pilots.
The programme is being jointly developed by the ADA and the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), combining expertise in aerodynamics, stealth shaping, avionics, autonomous systems, and propulsion technologies.
The new testing centre in Puttaparthi is expected to significantly accelerate the programme’s transition from prototype development to operational deployment. Defence analysts believe the facility could eventually evolve into India’s primary hub for advanced unmanned aerospace systems.
The Ghatak programme has already crossed several major technological milestones over the past few years. One of the most important breakthroughs came through the successful development and testing of the SWiFT, or Stealth Wing Flying Testbed, a scaled-down demonstrator designed to validate the drone’s unique tailless flying-wing aerodynamic configuration.
The SWiFT demonstrator proved the viability of the flying-wing layout, which is central to achieving low radar visibility. The aircraft’s design eliminates traditional vertical tail structures and smoothly blends the wings into the fuselage, dramatically reducing radar reflections and improving stealth performance.
The flying-wing architecture places the Ghatak in the same category of stealth-focused designs used in some of the world’s most advanced unmanned combat platforms. Such designs are specifically intended to penetrate dense air defence networks while remaining difficult to detect by enemy radar systems.
India’s stealth drone ambitions received a substantial strategic push in March 2026 when the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved a massive ₹39,000 crore procurement plan for 60 Ghatak combat drones under the Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft (RPSA) initiative.
The clearance marked a turning point for the programme, signalling the government’s intention to move beyond experimental development and toward eventual induction into operational military service.
Military planners view the Ghatak as a potentially transformative capability for future warfare, particularly in contested environments where traditional manned aircraft face increasing risks from advanced air defence systems.
The drone is expected to undertake deep strike operations, intelligence gathering, suppression of enemy air defences, and precision attacks against strategic targets. Its autonomous and semi-autonomous mission capabilities are intended to reduce pilot exposure while enabling sustained operations in hostile territory.
A major focus of the programme has been stealth optimisation. To minimise radar detection, engineers are designing the aircraft with extensive use of carbon-fibre prepreg composite materials. Defence officials estimate that nearly 80 to 90 percent of the airframe will consist of these advanced composites.
Beyond reducing overall weight, the composites help absorb and scatter radar waves, significantly lowering the drone’s radar cross-section. This allows the aircraft to maintain a low-observable profile while operating inside heavily monitored airspace.
The Ghatak’s propulsion system is also tailored for stealth operations. The aircraft is expected to be powered by a modified “dry” version of India’s indigenous Kaveri turbofan engine, capable of generating approximately 49 kilonewtons of thrust.
Unlike conventional fighter engines equipped with afterburners, the dry-engine configuration reduces thermal emissions, thereby limiting the drone’s infrared signature. Lower heat output is critical for survivability against modern infrared tracking and missile systems.
The absence of an afterburner also improves fuel efficiency, enabling longer endurance missions. Defence experts estimate that the drone will be capable of remaining airborne for five to eight hours depending on mission parameters and payload configuration.
Weighing between 13 and 15 tonnes, the Ghatak has a physical footprint broadly comparable to India’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. However, the operational philosophy behind the aircraft differs fundamentally from conventional fighter platforms.
Instead of relying on a human pilot, the Ghatak is being designed around advanced autonomous systems capable of executing complex flight operations with minimal direct intervention. Sophisticated onboard computers will process mission data, manage navigation, coordinate target engagement, and adapt flight behaviour in real time.
The aircraft is also expected to feature varying degrees of human supervision, allowing commanders to retain operational oversight while benefiting from rapid autonomous decision-making during combat scenarios.
Its projected operational ceiling of around 30,000 feet would enable the drone to perform long-range strike missions while remaining outside the engagement range of certain short-range air defence systems.
To preserve stealth characteristics, all weapons will be carried internally rather than mounted externally on pylons. The internal weapons bays are expected to accommodate up to 1.5 tonnes of precision-guided munitions, including smart bombs, air-to-surface missiles, and potentially future stand-off weapons.
Internal weapon carriage is considered essential for maintaining low radar visibility, as external stores can dramatically increase radar reflections and compromise stealth performance.
The establishment of the Puttaparthi Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre is expected to streamline the entire development pipeline by centralising critical testing and integration activities. Engineers and defence scientists will be able to conduct aerodynamic evaluations, software integration, stealth validation, avionics calibration, and autonomous systems testing at a single location.
This integrated approach is expected to reduce development timelines and improve coordination between multiple agencies and industrial partners involved in the programme.
The facility could also strengthen India’s broader aerospace ecosystem by supporting future projects involving autonomous combat aircraft, collaborative drone operations, and AI-enabled warfare technologies.
Defence experts believe the infrastructure being built for Ghatak could eventually support the development of “loyal wingman” drones — autonomous aircraft designed to operate alongside manned fighter jets during combat missions.
Such systems are increasingly viewed as the future of aerial warfare, allowing air forces to deploy unmanned platforms for reconnaissance, electronic warfare, decoy operations, and precision strikes while reducing risks to pilots.
The Ghatak programme is therefore seen not merely as a standalone drone project but as a foundational step toward a larger indigenous ecosystem of autonomous military aviation.
