Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) and US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) have formed a strategic partnership to manufacture Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in India for the Indian armed forces.
The collaboration combines GA-ASI’s expertise in unmanned aerial systems with L&T’s engineering, manufacturing, and system integration capabilities in the defence and aerospace sectors.
The partnership will focus on producing MQ-series RPAS platforms in India through technology transfers and localisation. L&T will act as the prime bidder for the Ministry of Defence’s upcoming 87 MALE RPAS programme, while GA-ASI will serve as the technology partner. The MQ-series RPAS, operational in multiple countries, have accumulated several million flight hours across surveillance and strike missions.
S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman and Managing Director of L&T, said the collaboration would enable the indigenous manufacture of advanced unmanned platforms and strengthen India’s defence capabilities.
Dr Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, stated that the partnership demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting India’s goals for self-reliance and domestic manufacturing in aerospace.
The initiative is expected to expand India’s defence manufacturing base and promote cooperation between India and the United States by establishing a production ecosystem for high-end unmanned aircraft systems.
L&T is an Indian multinational engaged in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects, high-technology manufacturing, and services across multiple sectors. GA-ASI is a US-based developer of unmanned aircraft systems whose Predator family of aircraft has logged over nine million flight hours worldwide.