L&T, General Atomics partner to build drones for Indian armed forces

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and United States-based defence firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) announced a strategic partnership on Friday to produce advanced medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the Indian armed forces.

GA-ASI, which manufactures the MQ-9 Reaper, will provide critical technology transfers for manufacturing these UAVs with L&T in accordance with the government’s indigenous content requirements.

L&T will participate in the Ministry of Defence’s 87 MALE UAVs programme as the prime bidder along with GA-ASI as the technology partner, according to a media statement.

The programme is said to have been expedited since the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s indigenous programme for MALE-class UAVs failed to meet critical military performance requirements for altitude and endurance.

Last year, India and the US signed a $3.5 billion deal to acquire a total of 31 MQ-9B variants of the SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian UAVs. According to the agreement, India will procure 15 SeaGuardians for the Indian Navy and eight SkyGuardians each for the Army and Air Force, with deliveries expected by early 2029.

The MQ-9 Reaper, with a service ceiling of over 30,000 feet and equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors, can provide persistent surveillance and strike capability with endurance of more than 24 hours.

L&T Chairman and Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan said the collaboration would significantly enhance India’s defence capabilities and advance self-reliance in aerospace technologies. “This partnership offers India a unique opportunity to manufacture state-of-the-art unmanned platforms indigenously,” he said.