The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) today successfully carried out the Maiden flight of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator from the Aeronautical Test Range at Chitradurga in Karnataka. <br />''<br />''With this success, India's secretive unmanned combat aerial vehicle UCAV programme under which a technology demonstrator called stealth wing flying test bed (SWift) is being developed reached a milestone. The programme is linked to the development of India's fifth-generation stealth fighter advanced medium combat aircraft or AMCA.<br />''<br />''The flight operated in a fully autonomous mode. The aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, waypoint navigation and a smooth touchdown. This aircraft is powered by a small turbofan engine.  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO. He said, it is a major achievement toward autonomous aircraft and will pave the way for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in terms of critical military systems.<br />''<br />''The Defence Ministry highlighted that the aircraft marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies for the development of future unmanned aircraft. It said, this aircraft is a significant step toward self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies. <br />''<br />''The Ministry said that Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru, which is a premier research laboratory of DRDO. It added the airframe, undercarriage and entire flight control and avionics systems used for the aircraft were developed indigenously.<br />