Garuda Aerospace, a leading Indian drone manufacturer, has forged a strategic partnership with Airbus Helicopters through a contract to acquire up to 18 units of the advanced Flexrotor unmanned aerial system (UAS).

This deal, announced on 12 March 2026, signals a bold move in the company's ambitions to broaden its global footprint in UAS leasing and services.

The agreement allows Garuda Aerospace to incorporate the long-endurance Flexrotor into its international fleet. Customers will gain access via dry lease and wet lease options, catering to diverse operational needs across civil, industrial, and para-public sectors.

Mission profiles for the Flexrotor include infrastructure inspections, monitoring of oil and gas pipelines, powerline assessments, railway and highway surveillance, disaster response efforts, wildfire detection, law enforcement activities, and search-and-rescue operations.

This versatility positions the drone as a multifaceted tool for critical applications.

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, hailed the partnership as a pivotal milestone. He emphasised that it scales up the firm's global drone services, building on a track record of manufacturing over 5,000 drones and serving more than 500 enterprise and government clients worldwide.

Jayaprakash highlighted the company's delivery of high-endurance, mission-critical solutions for demanding operations. Garuda Aerospace commands roughly 30 per cent of India's agricultural drone market and boasts over one million cumulative flight hours in agriculture, defence, and industrial domains.

Olivier Michalon, Executive Vice President for Global Business at Airbus Helicopters, expressed pride in the collaboration. He noted that it will drive wider global deployment of the Flexrotor platform, underscoring its strategic value.

The Flexrotor stands out as a versatile light tactical UAS tailored for extended missions with sophisticated sensor integration. Its maximum take-off weight reaches approximately 25 kilograms (55 pounds), enabling 12 to 14 hours of endurance in standard setups.

This endurance suits intelligence, surveillance, monitoring, and data-collection tasks over expansive areas. A core strength lies in its expeditionary design and compact footprint, facilitating autonomous launch and recovery from tight spaces.

The system requires just a 3.7-by-3.7-metre area for operations, whether on confined land or maritime platforms sans flight decks. Its modular architecture permits swift setup, shifting from transport to readiness in under 30 minutes.

By integrating Flexrotor, Garuda Aerospace bolsters its global unmanned aviation network. It enhances offerings in high-endurance aerial intelligence and mission support for sectors like energy, infrastructure, agriculture, defence, and public safety.

This partnership underscores Garuda Aerospace's rapid ascent as one of the world's fastest-growing drone firms. It reinforces the company's push into advanced unmanned solutions and international services.

Agencies