Larsen & Toubro Ltd. will build advanced combat drones in India in partnership with US-headquartered General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
The two companies entered into a strategic partnership to manufacture Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in India, for the Indian armed forces, according to a statement on Friday.
An RPAS is an unmanned aircraft that is piloted from a ground-based remote pilot station and includes the aircraft itself, the pilot station, and the command and control data link connecting them.
L&T will participate in the upcoming 87 MALE RPAS programme of the Ministry of Defence, where the company will be the prime bidder and GA-ASI the technology partner.
The program incorporates critical technology transfers and fulfils indigenous content requirements of the government under the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.
"The collaboration will enable the production of GA-ASI’s MQ-series RPAS that are combat-proven. These are widely operational across the globe with millions of flight hours in surveillance and strike missions," the statement said.
L&T did not disclose the financial details of the project or the place where the manufacturing facility will be built.
"This partnership offers India a unique opportunity to manufacture state-of-the-art unmanned platforms indigenously," L&T Chairman and Managing Director SN Subrahmanyan said.
"By combining GA-ASI’s proven technology with L&T’s robust manufacturing expertise, we aim to deliver cutting-edge MALE RPAS solutions that will enhance the operational readiness of the Indian armed forces and contribute to a strong, sustainable defence ecosystem in India," said Vivek Lall, chief executive of General Atomics Global Corp.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is one of the top builders of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and a major supplier for US and NATO armed forces. It makes the Predator drones, besides the MQ-9A Reaper, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, the MQ-20 Avenger, and the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian.
Shares of L&T traded 0.8% higher at Rs 4,017.7 on the NSE as of 10:00 a.m., after the announcement. The benchmark Nifty 50 was up 0.2%.
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