The Indian Air Force has received an indigenous FF Bot firefighting robot developed by Swadeshi Empresa.
The device was tested during Exercise Vayu Shakti 2026 at Pokhran.
The remotely operated system aims to help tackle fires involving aircraft, fuel storage and ammunition.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has received an indigenously developed firefighting robot from Swadeshi Empresa, procured under the emergency procurement (EP) process launched after Operation Sindoor.
In October 2025, the IAF placed the order for an undisclosed number of FF Bots with Swadeshi Empresa, the first company to win a contract under the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative.
Protecting Critical Air Bases
The procurement comes against the backdrop of attacks on military installations during the India-Pakistan conflict in May last year. On May 7-8, Pakistan attempted to strike 15 locations using drones and missiles, including Adampur, Bhuj, Uttarlai, Phalodi, Nal and Bathinda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later told Parliament that Indian forces had intercepted around 1,000 missiles and drones during Operation Sindoor.
“Protecting air bases involves more than intercepting incoming threats. Fires involving aircraft, fuel storage and ammunition can put personnel at risk, damage critical infrastructure and disrupt operations. Remotely operated firefighting systems can help tackle such emergencies without immediately exposing ground crews to danger,” the company said.
Built For High-Risk Firefighting
On February 27, the FF Bot was tested against fire and falling debris during Exercise Vayu Shakti 2026 at Pokhran. The trials were held on uneven ground and in low visibility.
“The machine features an integrated cooling system, a stainless-steel body and six powered wheels with suspension to navigate difficult surfaces. It can pull a charged firefighting hose and tow loads of up to five tonnes.”
Recent conflicts have highlighted the risks to critical infrastructure. During the 2026 US-Israel campaign, the Iranian fuel depots were burning for days, and ammunition facilities in Isfahan experienced successive explosions.
Russian strikes on DTEK power plants also triggered fires across multiple regions, stretching firefighting teams operating in temperatures below minus 20°C. Some depot explosions were reportedly powerful enough to register as seismic events.
