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31 Jul 24. Royal Navy accelerate numerous heavy-lift UAS concepts.
The service require a UAS HLC aiming for 200kg payload, and there is no limit on the number of concepts that may be developed.
The UK Royal Navy wants to accelerate a range of concepts to the minimum viable product stage within its existing uncrewed aerial system (UAS) heavy-lift capability (HLC) framework to better understand potential options and operational uses in the market.
Such concepts will be used predominantly, but not exclusively, in the maritime domain according to the open opportunity notice released earlier this month. The HLC is aiming for a 200kg payload capability.
No limit has been placed on the number of concepts that may be developed, but certain factors will need to be considered first, not least funding availability.
The current framework remains available for use across Defence until August 2026.
The intention is to address the lack of current options in the market by increasing the number of delivery ready platforms. This will give the government access to heavy-lift UAS “at the speed of relevance,” in other words, as technology evolves.
Flexible procurement
Diverging from their prescriptive measures for procurement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) hopes to cultivate a competitive industrial ecosystem whereby suppliers are able to demonstrate their current capabilities, set out product development and commercial exploitation roadmaps, and work with both the government and potentially other suppliers to accelerate pace of development and reduce time to market.
This contrasts with previous methods the MoD used to procure, for example, the German-made Remote Controlled Howitzer-155 system for its Mobile Fires Programme in May 2024, when the former government ditched the South Korean K9 howitzer without a competitive process at all.
Autonomous Maritime Aviation
Currently the naval force operate numerous crewed rotorcraft types, including 28 AW159 Wildcat attack helicopters and more than 50 Merlin anti-submarine warfare platforms – the original Mark 1 Merlin units were procured from as early as the late 1990s.
In an effort to expand the future capabilities and mass of its maritime aviation inventory, the Navy will field new uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) such as the the Peregrine S-100 camcopter surveillance system, the Mojave medium-altitude long endurance system as well as the Malloy TRV-150 light logistic Support system for Royal Commando units, among others.
To ensure the transition to uncrewed autonomy is achievable the service will maintain its overarching ambitions – for greater mass and and more uncrewed systems – by achieving shorter-term goals and scaling up at pace through experimentation.
(Source: naval-technology.com)
01 Aug 24. Korea Aerospace Industries Expands Collaboration with Army to Advance Unmanned Aerial Technology.
On July 24, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Military Drone Operations Command to enhance collaboration in various fields including manned-unmanned teaming, drones, AAVs (Advanced Aerial Vehicles), and next-generation unmanned aerial vehicles.
The signing ceremony saw the attendance of key representatives from both organizations, including KAI’s Senior Vice President, Lee Sang-jae, and Commander Kim Yong-dae of the Drone Operations Command.
With this agreement, KAI and the Drone Operations Command aim to foster increased civil-military exchanges to advance technology in the field of manned and unmanned aerial systems. They have committed to supporting each other in this endeavor.
KAI plans to continuously expand information sharing to develop Manned Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) technologies. The Drone Operations Command is expected to provide valuable proposals and support, especially in the drone and advanced aerial vehicle sectors.
Both organizations will host joint seminars, collaborate on R&D projects, and expand their interactions to further develop drone and advanced aircraft capabilities while solidifying strategic cooperation for the advancement of weapon system technologies.
Currently, KAI is working on developing the MUM-T system, which integrates helicopters with airborne-launched drones, and the Next-generation Air Combat System (NACS) that connects fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and satellites.
Expected to be a game-changer on future battlefields, manned-unmanned teaming can maximize combat effectiveness with fewer personnel and reduced operational costs.
KAI, having successfully developed the Songgolmae, the nation’s first corps-level reconnaissance UAV, is now working on the next-generation corps-level UAV Block-II, which is capable of performing a variety of missions including land and maritime surveillance, electronic warfare, and communication relay based on long-endurance capabilities.
In addition, KAI is researching and developing small multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicles that can perform surveillance, communication relay, and attack missions.
Lee Sang-jae, Senior Vice President at KAI’s Customer Support Center, remarked,
“We have accumulated extensive operational experience from the research and production of various weapon systems such as the Surion, LAH helicopter, KF-21 fighter jet, space/satellite projects, and the Songgolmae UAV. Based on this experience, we will further develop unmanned platform technologies to establish the foundation for next-generation air combat systems that incorporate manned-unmanned teaming.”
Photo: The signing ceremony saw the attendance of key representatives from both organizations, including KAI’s Senior Vice President, Lee Sang-jae (Third from the left), and Commander Kim Yong-dae (Third from the right) of the Drone Operations Command. / Courtesy of KAI
(Source: UAS VISION/Korea IT Times)
30 Jul 24. UK launches global MQ-9B drone users’ club for allies. The U.K. has been discreetly building a global MQ-9B operators club in Europe open to NATO and non-NATO members operating or interested in acquiring the long-range drone that will be granted training access at an in-country flight facility.
On July 20, the Royal Air Force announced the creation of a new MQ-9 International Cooperation Support Partnership, or MIC SP, formed under the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, or NSPA, that builds on a previous similar U.K.-led project.
“The MQ-9B International Cooperative Program was established in 2019 and the work to determine the best way forward to enhance cooperation was done in 2023/24 with the conclusion that NSPA and a MIC SP delivered the best path,” an RAF spokesman for the program told Defense News.
The drone program is growing rapidly, the spokesman said, as it initially included six nations and now comprises ten.
“In April 2023, MICP nations were Belgium and the U.K. as participants (to the memorandum of understanding); with Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, and Norway as observers — since then, we have added Qatar and Sweden as observers,” he said.
The representative added very few obligations come with joining the program under observer status and countries “only need to be ‘interested’ in potentially procuring the MQ-9B.”
The ambitions laid out by the RAF for the users’ club include developing and testing a framework to increase cooperation amongst member nations, enhance interoperability and facilitate joint training. Countries can join either as participants, associated states or in an observer capacity.
Affiliates will further have the opportunity to benefit from the air and ground crew training provided by the U.K. through the NATO Flight Training Europe Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems’ facility at the RAF Waddington base.
The station, located in Lincolnshire, is known as the hub of U.K. reconnaissance and surveillance, as well as the force’s main operating site for airborne intelligence aircraft and systems.
The MQ-9B is designed to be airborne for over 40 hours and differs from the MQ-9A variant in that it is able to be certified to operate in civilian airspace, according to its manufacturer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, or GA-ASI.
The RAF is one of the main operators of this aircraft, which it has named the Protector. Although some smaller countries, such as the Nordics, have expressed a strong interest in acquiring these drones, the hefty price tag attached to them has been somewhat of a trade-off they’ve acknowledged.
In a recent interview with Defense News, Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman, chief of the Swedish Air Force, said that Sweden had not yet decided to buy an asset such as the MQ-9 Reaper “mostly because it does not fit our size or budget.”
An advantage the new MIC SP framework would provide is enabling multinational contracting with GA-ASI or the U.S. government to achieve benefits through “sharing of costs,” among member nations.
Having all three Nordic nations — Sweden, Norway and Denmark — onboard as observers is a good signal, the spokesman said, that they eventually may opt to buy this drone, which would be a force multiplier for the alliance’s intelligence assets in this region.
“It is hoped that all Nordic nations might acquire the MQ-9B to enhance cooperation in the Northern Atlantic and Polar regions, particularly in the maritime domain and to partner with nations’ maritime patrol aircraft, such as the P8,” he said.
Norway announced plans in April to acquire long-range drones to bolster its maritime surveillance, which local media reported would likely be a choice between Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton platform and the MQ-9B.
The Swedish government has adopted the country’s first-ever defense and security space strategy, which seeks to make Stockholm a space hub for allies.
In an opinion piece published in Aftenposter, Norway’s largest newspaper, a retired Army major argued General Atomics’ “more affordable” offering and longer endurance were key factors for a state with scarce resources like Oslo.
In an emailed statement to Defense News, a senior advisor to the Norwegian Minister of Defense said a prerequisite for establishing a long-range drone capability is “that it must be carried out as part of a multinational collaboration — which can involve training, operation and development — with close allies.”
The officer added no decision has yet been taken on who this cooperation should take place with. (Source: Defense News)
30 Jul 24. Russia unveils its answer to Iran’s Shahed ‘kamikaze drone.’
The Gerbera shares distinctive body shape with Iranian-designed UAVs prominent in Moscow’s long-range barrages against Ukrainian targets. Footage has emerged of a new Russian attack drone dubbed the “younger sister” of the Iranian-made Shahed-136.
The Gerbera appears to feature a foamed plastic fuselage reinforced with plywood supports, according to an analysis of a version of the drone downed over Ukrainian territory.
A promotional video soon started circulating on social media channels after the initial discovery of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The new model shares the distinctive body shape with the Iranian-designed drones that have been prominent in Russia’s long-range barrages against Ukrainian targets.
The footage was initially shared by the Russian “Stalin’s Falcons” unit, which has ties to the Alabuga facility in Tatarstan, where Russia is building thousands of Iranian-designed drones.
This could provide an indication that Russian engineers have managed to reverse engineer and recreate the Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, the Ukrainian Defence Express website wrote.
The designers behind the Gerbera claim the drone is available in three variants: kamikaze attack, electronic warfare and as a false target.
They also claim it can be used in a swarm to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences.
The notable difference between the Gerbera and the Shahed-136 is a camera that enables a pilot to take manual control of the drone, similar to the first-person view of UAVs prominently used on the battlefield.
Whereas, the Iranian models are pre-programmed with assigned targets, allowing for less flexibility once they are launched.
This does, however, indicate that the Gerbera likely has a range of less than 60 miles because of the radio signal strength required to control such a system.
The promotional footage appears to demonstrate the one-way attack model of the new Russian drone, with a video display showing the UAV honing onto a target in a grassy field.
A shot shows it exploding on impact with the mock target.
However, Ukrainian analysts believe that the Gerbera variants built to gather intelligence could have a much longer range.
One example downed over Ukraine revealed the drone was fitted with a Ukrainian 4G SIM card that allowed it to hunt for radar systems while using the country’s mobile network to relay data back to Moscow’s forces.
Similar systems were found in the wreckage of Iranian Shahed drones discovered on the battlefield from November 2023.
The discovered drones, which were found without warheads, had a wingspan of about 2.5 metres and a length of about two metres.
They were driven by a propeller attached to a small internal combustion engine, similarly found in other models of smaller drones.
Andriy Cherniak, a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, said last week that the Russians were resorting to cheaper, lightweight drones to hunt out Ukrainian air defence positions.
Ukrainian sources have told the Telegraph that Moscow often launches drones to exhaust Ukraine’s surface-to-air interceptors before following up with deadly, large-scale missile attacks. (Source: Daily Telegraph)
31 Jul 24. Marles, Chappell unveil Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton aircraft. The Federal Government has unveiled Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton Remotely Piloted Aircraft System – ‘AUS 1’ – to be operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
Revealed at RAAF Base Tindal by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, the MQ-4C Triton is a high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft that will provide persistent surveillance across Australia’s maritime approaches.
The aircraft will complement the ADF’s crewed P-8A Poseidon fleet as a ‘family of systems’ to undertake enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of Defence operations.
“This is another example of the Albanese Government demonstrating its commitment to national security with our ongoing investment in cutting-edge capabilities,” according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles.
“This is about ensuring our Australian Defence Force is fit for purpose and equipped with suitable capabilities to meet the challenges it will face.
“We must continue to enhance our operations from Australia’s northern bases, and the MQ-4C Triton is a tangible example of a capability that will assist us in achieving this task.”
The four MQ-4C Triton aircraft will be based at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory and operated by the Air Force’s reformed No. 9 Squadron, located at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.
“As a complement to our existing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the MQ-4C Triton will significantly enhance our ability to persistently patrol Australia’s north and broader maritime approaches,” according to Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell.
“The MQ-4C Triton will deliver unprecedented persistence and awareness over the maritime domain in support of the integrated, focused force.
“Uncrewed aerial systems offer enormous potential to capitalise on the opportunities provided by modern payloads and increased endurance.”
The MQ-4C Triton project represents a $900 m investment in Australian industry for facilities construction, network integration, engineering, logistics, component manufacture and sustainment services.
As part of this investment, Defence has signed an interim sustainment support contract valued at approximately $220 m with Northrop Grumman Australia, creating 110 technical jobs for highly skilled workers in South Australia and in the Northern Territory as a result of the project.
“With the investment in the MQ-4C Triton fleet and the increased commitment to Defence more broadly, the Australian Government is delivering a generational uplift in the long-range capabilities the ADF needs to make Australians safer and to protect our national interests,” according to Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy.
“The MQ-4C Triton will significantly enhance the security of Australia’s maritime borders – a key priority supported by the Integrated Investment Program, and as outlined in the National Defence Strategy.
“The arrival of the Triton represents a significant milestone for Air Force and clearly demonstrates the success of the cooperative program with the United States Navy. Our partnership strengthens our ability in joint operations and is underpinned by the strong cooperation with defence industry to develop advanced capability.” (Source: Defence Connect)
30 Jul 24. Zephyr HAPS gets Design Organisation Approval from UK Civil Aviation Authority.
AALTO HAPS Ltd., which designs, manufactures and operates the stratospheric, solar-powered Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), announced that it has secured its Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. This is the first DOA to be issued to a HAPS company in the UK, marking AALTO and the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s leadership in the development and regulation of HAPS technology.
The announcement made at the Farnborough International Air Show follows several months of engagement between AALTO and the UK Civil Aviation Authority, as the Company progresses the process for a Type Certification of its latest Zephyr Z8 aircraft. UK-based companies must be granted a DOA before securing a Type Certification, an airworthiness standard that will help facilitate the commercial activation and roll-out of AALTO’s services globally.
As part of the DOA, the UK Civil Aviation Authority led an initial review of AALTO encompassing the Company’s procedures, facilities and competency of its design team. The DOA certifies AALTO is an organisation with capabilities to design aircraft to the highest standards. AALTO is now working closely with the UK Civil Aviation Authority on the Type Certification of Zephyr ahead of a targeted entry-into-service in 2026.
With a current flight-time record of over 64 days in the stratosphere, Zephyr is a world-leading HAPS that will be transformative for mobile connectivity and earth observation. As a payload agnostic platform, Zephyr can deliver several applications, including low-latency 5G direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity and high-quality earth observation services.
Samer Halawi, Chief Executive Officer of AALTO, said: “This is a significant milestone for the industrial and commercial roadmap of Zephyr. Following a landmark investment in our business and the beginning of our comprehensive flight season, this approval underscores the regulatory confidence in HAPS as we demonstrate the potential of providing cutting-edge services from the stratosphere. The UK Civil Aviation Authority continues to show its global leadership as an enabler of sustainable technology such as Zephyr, which remains at the forefront of solar-powered innovation.”
Pierre-Antoine Aubourg, Chief Technology Officer of AALTO, added: “This validation from a world-leading aviation authority is testament to the dedication and expertise of our teams at AALTO. Our technical and engineering departments continue to be driven by setting the highest possible standards, alongside the UK Civil Aviation Authority, whose support and insight has been vital in our certification journey. As we focus on securing a Type Certification for Zephyr, we look forward to working closely with the UK Civil Aviation Authority over the coming months. With their ongoing support, I am confident we will continue to break new ground in the regulation of Zephyr and HAPS technology.”
Garry Lathey, Design and Certification Manager at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “We are committed to working as the regulator with innovative companies like AALTO to play our role in realising their ideas in a safe, sustainable way. The granting of Design Organisation Approval to AALTO brings closer a future with certified RPAS, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring the UK stays at the forefront of global aviation innovation. We will continue to work with regulatory bodies around the world to protect consumers and enable the innovation of certified RPAS.”
About AALTOAALTO, a subsidiary of Airbus, is a global leader in connectivity and earth observation services from the stratosphere. Based in Farnborough, UK, the Company designs, manufactures and offers services using its record-breaking Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS). Powered by solar energy and operating above 60,000+ feet, Zephyr’s persistence enables continuous flight for months at a time. Its current flight-time record is over 64 days in the stratosphere. As a payload agnostic platform, Zephyr can deliver several applications, including low-latency 5G direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity and high-quality earth observation services. Those solutions will deliver for several markets including mobile greenfield connectivity, disaster management, border protection, and precision agriculture. (Source: UAS VISION/AALTO)
29 Jul 24. USAF picks five firms to build autonomy package for drone wingmen. The Air Force has chosen five companies to build the autonomy system that will underpin the first batch of its uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet, according to a service official.
The service discretely awarded contracts to the firms a few months ago, according to Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, who spoke to reporters Monday at the Air Force’s Life Cycle Industry Day in Dayton, Ohio. He would not identify the selected companies due to security concerns.
Voorheis, program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, described the autonomy package as the “brains” of the Air Force’s future Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA, fleet. The systems are being designed as drone wingmen that will fly alongside crewed fighter aircraft like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and perform a range of missions, including strike, reconnaissance and electronic warfare.
The service plans to field at least 1,000 CCAs by the late 2030s. It will do so in increments, with each batch bringing a different capability to the mix.
In April, the Air Force announced it had selected General Atomics and Anduril to build a prototype of the first increment of the air vehicle. The two firms will develop production-representative test aircraft, and both are performing on schedule, according to Voorheis. Both will work closely with the Increment 1 autonomy vendors to ensure the hardware and software systems are well integrated.
The Air Force plans to stage a competition and award a production contract for Increment 1 as soon as 2026. Voorheis said the service may choose to buy aircraft from both vendors or select a system from another company. If it chooses multiple aircraft, he noted, the procurement will likely not be a 50-50 split.
“We’re not going into it with any notion of an equal split,” he said. “It will be wholly dependent on the performance of each of those vendors and the capacity that the department, our joint partners, our international partners need.”
The service chose the hardware and software developers from an established consortium of potential CCA vendors, and it plans to draw from that base as well as outside firms for future increments of the program.
“You want that marketplace to be robust so that in the future, whether it’s a foreign partner or it’s a joint partner, or it‘s CCA Increment 2, we have those autonomy vendors for that product in the marketplace that can be leveraged in the future,” Voorheis said.
In parallel with Increment 1 work, Voorheis and his team are working to define the capability it needs for the next batch of aircraft. Col. Timothy Helfrich, senior materiel leader for advanced aircraft, said in the same meeting with reporters he expects to narrow those requirements in the coming months and award contracts by 2025.
Helfrich’s office recently held an industry day to share details on the Increment 2 timeline as well as some of the capability options the service is considering, the details of which are classified.
The Air Force also wants to involve its international partners in future CCA discussions. Voorheis said that could include foreign military sales opportunities for Increment 1 aircraft and he expects U.S. allies to work closely with the CCA team to define Increment 2 capabilities and perhaps even coproduce the aircraft.
“We’ve just begun to broach relationships — bilateral and multilateral — and really it will be this fall that we’re able to smoke out what the real interest is from each of our partners and solidify who who will and who won’t be participating with us,” he said. “But you can expect our closest allies to be in that mix for sure.” (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
26 Jul 24. UK CAA sets out airspace modernisation deployment plan. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published its Airspace Modernisation Strategy, Part 3: Deployment Plan, setting out the key activities and milestones the industry and regulator will need to deliver together, alongside the regulatory frameworks it will set.
This includes projects looking at how new airspace users, such as drones and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, can fly safely in the same airspace as other aircraft. It also includes work looking at the services needed to support all airspace users, and the technology that needs to be developed for aircraft to detect and avoid each other.
The UK Secretary of State has given the CAA the function to prepare and maintain a coordinated strategy and plan for the use of all UK airspace for air navigation up to 2040, including for the modernisation of the use of such airspace.
“Overhauling our airspace is a long-term and complex endeavour, requiring concerted efforts and collaboration from the aerospace industry,” said Rob Bishton, Chief Executive of the CAA. “It is key to enabling new and innovative technologies to thrive in UK aerospace. Our delivery plan sets out the main priorities for the coming years, providing a framework for co-ordinated action and accountability. It not only outlines our strategic priorities, but also is a blueprint for industry to engage and contribute towards the vision of a modernised airspace for the UK.”
Aviation Minister Mike Kane said the aviation world is undergoing a technological revolution and that it is crucial that UK airspace evolves alongside this. “The Civil Aviation Authority’s plan to modernise our airspace will help ease delays, support efforts to decarbonise and reduce noise. Through continued collaboration with industry, this plan will ensure these innovations are safely and effectively integrated into our skies. We have an analogue airspace in a digital age designed nearer a time Yuri Gagarin reached for the stars. The moment for change is now…”
A first iteration, the Deployment Plan details the work the regulator has committed to, including projects that are ongoing or commencing within the next two years and those activities that will need to be delivered by the industry. It also provides an overview of further scoped work to take place over the subsequent five years. This includes information on nearer-term activities, concepts and challenges that the UK Civil Aviation Authority needs to consider, but where detail, timescales and clear deliverables are yet to be determined.
The Deployment Plan follows the January 2023 update of the CAA’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy and serves as a tool for the aerospace industry to monitor progress and ensure alignment. The CAA will collaborate with the Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG), Ministry of Defence, and NATS Enroute Limited (NERL) to achieve its mission.
For more information: UK CAA, https://www.caa.co.uk/
30 Jul 24. Thales has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Garuda Aerospace to promote growth and innovation in the drone sector in India.
- Under the agreement, Thales will provide expertise in the field of Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) solutions, UAV detection, and system integration, whilst Garuda will bring its skills in the manufacture and use of UAVs, as well as its expertise in the Indian market.
- The MoU aims to provide a platform for a strategic collaboration to develop the drone ecosystem in India.
Thales, a global leader in the aerospace industry, and Garuda Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the development of the drone ecosystem in India. This collaboration aims to foster innovation and to advance the development of technological solutions that can enable safe and secure drone operations and help the growth of drone-based applications in India.
In addition to its broad expertise in the field of UTM solutions for the seamless management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight authorisations, Thales offers a range of radar and sensors for high-performance UAV detection, as well as being experienced in system integration. Garuda Aerospace, known for its expertise in the Indian market, is a leader in UAV manufacturing, and has extensive knowledge of the production of high-tech UAVs and service applications.
Established in 2015, Garuda Aerospace is a key player in the Indian drone sector, catering to the diverse needs of the industry. The company focuses on building advanced drone solutions for the armed forces, in collaboration with global giants in the defence and aerospace sectors. It also has a vast fleet of over 2500 drones and 4000 pilots across 400 districts.
Thales is recognised around the world for its expertise in aerospace and UAV solutions. From design and development to implementation and maintenance, Thales has built end-to-end solutions for drone integration and the development of advanced UTM systems. The company works closely with civil aviation authorities and air navigation service providers to deliver strategic UTM capabilities, including registration, authorisation and geo-awareness, while ensuring that incremental capabilities, such as aircraft tracking and deconfliction, can be added in the long term.
The MoU aims to transform the Indian drone landscape, and will come into effect in August 2024.
Ashish Saraf, VP and Country Director, Thales in India, stated: “The government is providing a robust foundation for the drone ecosystem, fostering opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and growth. We are proud to partner with Garuda Aerospace in paving the way for the development of advanced UTM systems in India by leveraging our extensive global experience and expertise in aeronautical solutions. This collaboration aligns well with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) vision, and seeks to support India in realising its ambition to become a major global hub for drones by 2030.”
Speaking on the partnership, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder CEO, Garuda Aerospace, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Thales in driving technological innovations for the development of drones and drone-based applications in India. Ever since Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji launched 100 Garuda drones in 100 Villages, we have scaled and cemented market dominance in the precision agri drone segment where 50% of agri drones in India is Garuda’s. Equipped with the largest fleet in India coupled with Thales’ UTM technology and their worldwide experience, Garuda Aerospace will aim to revolutionize the drone sector and play a key role in the transformation of India into a global drone powerhouse.”
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