India’s HAL Prepares New Loyal-Wingman and Stealth Strike Concepts — HAL plans to highlight advances in its CATS programme during Aero India 2027, including an expanded CATS-Warrior Phase-II design. Measuring approximately 14.7 metres long with an 11-metre wingspan, the aircraft features a substantially enlarged fuselage that could accommodate an internal weapons bay. Concept illustrations suggest a possible BrahMos-NG strike role, although key technical specifications have not been released. CATS-Warrior Phase-I, measuring 9.1 metres long, is also expected to be displayed with an Astra beyond-visual-range missile. The wider programme is intended to combine crewed aircraft with autonomous platforms for reconnaissance, electronic warfare and attack missions. HAL’s redesigned CATS-Hunter, a proposed stealth cruise missile measuring about 4.4 metres long, represents another component of this future networked combat architecture.
