Airbus Helicopters and Garuda Technologies Inc. have signed a contract for the delivery of up to 18 Flexrotor uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). The agreement will support the expansion of Garuda’s global leasing portfolio for unmanned aerial services.

Garuda plans to offer the Flexrotor systems to customers through both dry and wet lease arrangements for a range of civil and parapublic operations.

UAS SERVICES FOR MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES

The Flexrotor platforms will be deployed across a variety of missions including infrastructure inspection of roads, railways, oil and gas pipelines and power lines, as well as law enforcement, search operations, wildfire monitoring and disaster relief.

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Garuda, said the agreement forms part of the company’s broader international expansion strategy.

He noted that Garuda Aerospace has manufactured and sold more than 5,000 drones and served over 500 enterprise and government clients globally. With more than one million accumulated flight hours and a strong position in India’s agricultural drone market, the addition of Flexrotor will expand the company’s range of high-endurance unmanned capabilities.

AIRBUS EXPANDS FLEXROTOR MARKET PRESENCE

Olivier Michalon, Executive Vice President for Global Business at Airbus Helicopters, said the partnership supports the continued growth of the Flexrotor platform within both civil and military markets.

He stated that the system provides a balance of payload capacity, endurance and operational flexibility, while maintaining a compact operational footprint suited to expeditionary deployments.

FLEXROTOR DESIGNED FOR LONG-ENDURANCE MISSIONS

The Flexrotor is a light tactical UAS designed for long-endurance missions and capable of carrying a variety of sensor payloads. With a weight of approximately 25 kg (55 lb), the aircraft can conduct Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions for between 12 and 14 hours in typical operational configurations.

The system can operate from confined land areas and from ships without flight decks. Its design allows it to transition from transport configuration to flight-ready status in less than 30 minutes.

Flexrotor can autonomously launch and recover from either land or sea using an operational area measuring approximately 3.7 by 3.7 metres (12 by 12 ft), making it suitable for missions requiring a minimal operational footprint.