Bharat Forge Ltd and Pratt & Whitney Canada will work together to evaluate the integration of advanced turboprop engines into a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The collaboration supports India’s indigenous unmanned aerial systems efforts under the Government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Pratt & Whitney to assess engine compatibility
Pratt & Whitney Canada will evaluate engine compatibility, performance and installation requirements for the HALE UAV programme.
Bharat Forge will lead engine-airframe integration, including installation design and systems interfaces.
Bharat Forge to lead integration
Bharat Forge will draw on its engineering, manufacturing and aerospace systems capabilities for the integration programme.
“By combining Pratt & Whitney’s globally proven propulsion technologies with Bharat Forge’s engineering and systems integration expertise, we aim to support development of a world-class HALE platform that strengthens India’s strategic self-reliance and defence preparedness,” said Bharat Forge, Vice Chairman and Joint Managing Director, Amit Kalyani.
Collaboration supports India’s defence ambitions
“This collaboration with Bharat Forge reflects our continued commitment to supporting India’s aerospace and defence ambitions,” said Pratt & Whitney, Vice President and Country Head, Ashish Saraf.
“Pratt & Whitney Canada’s turboprop engines have a proven legacy of reliability in demanding operational environments, which is exactly what’s needed for India’s HALE programme,” he said.
HALE UAVs support surveillance
HALE UAVs are designed for long-endurance surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance missions. They can support operations across both land and maritime domains. Pratt & Whitney is an RTX business.