Bharat Forge, Pratt & Whitney Canada to explore turboprop engine integration for DRDO’s HALE UAV programme

Bharat Forge Ltd. and RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Canada have joined hands to evaluate the integration of advanced turboprop engines into a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme being designed and developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The collaboration brings together Pratt & Whitney Canada’s propulsion capabilities and Bharat Forge’s aerospace engineering and systems integration expertise as India seeks to strengthen indigenous unmanned aerial systems under the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The companies will assess the compatibility, performance and installation requirements of the turboprop engines for the next-generation HALE platform.

Amit Kalyani, Vice Chairman and Joint Managing Director, Bharat Forge, stated that the collaboration would combine Pratt & Whitney’s propulsion technology with Bharat Forge’s engineering and systems integration capabilities to support the development of a world-class HALE platform.

The initiative also underlines the growing role of private-sector engineering capabilities in India’s defence ecosystem, particularly in developing complex aerospace platforms and critical propulsion systems.

Bharat Forge to lead engine-airframe integration

Under the collaboration, Pratt & Whitney Canada will focus on evaluating the suitability of its turboprop propulsion technology for the UAV, including engine compatibility and performance considerations. Bharat Forge, meanwhile, will lead the engine-airframe integration work, covering installation design and systems interfaces.

The partnership expands Bharat Forge Aerospace’s role in critical aerospace and defence systems, building on its capabilities in engineering, advanced manufacturing and systems integration. The company’s aerospace business is focused on the design, development and manufacture of aerospace, defence and marine systems, structures and components.

Ashish Saraf, Vice President and Country Head, Pratt & Whitney, said the collaboration reflected the company’s commitment to India’s aerospace and defence ambitions, while highlighting the reliability of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s turboprop engines in demanding operating environments.

Focus on long-endurance surveillance missions

HALE UAVs are designed to operate at high altitudes and remain airborne for extended periods, making them suited for surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance missions across both land and maritime domains. The proposed engine-integration exercise is therefore aimed at supporting the development of a platform with applications in strategic surveillance and defence operations.

The announcement comes as Indian defence manufacturing increasingly focuses on developing indigenous platforms while leveraging global technologies and partnerships for critical subsystems.