Franco Indian Defense Industries Partner to Produce AAROK Drones with Local Manufacturing in India
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According to information published on the company LinkedIn account on June 18, 2025, Bharat Forge Ltd, one of India’s leading private-sector defense manufacturers, has signed a memorandum of understanding with French aerospace firm Turgis Gaillard to jointly promote and produce the AAROK medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle for the Indian Ministry of Defence. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The AAROK MALE UAV by Turgis Gaillard at Paris Air Show 2025 (Picture source: Army Recognition)
This collaboration represents a milestone in Indo-European defense cooperation, marking India’s first direct industrial entry into a full-scale, combat-capable MALE UAV program developed in the West. The AAROK, engineered by Gaillard ASA in France, is designed as a rugged, modular platform with a maximum take-off weight of 5,500 kg (11,000 lb), powered by a 1,200 hp turboprop engine and configured to carry up to 3,000 kg (6,000 lb) of payload including weapons, fuel, and sensors.
This UAV offers a flight endurance of 24 hours in fully‑armed configuration, extendable to 30 hours for ISR‑only missions, cruising at approximately 450 km/h (250 kt) at altitudes up to FL300–450 (~30,000 ft). Its 22 m wingspan and 14 m length accommodate large optronic sensors (up to 25″ diameter), multi‑mode radar, satellite communications, LOS/BLOS datalinks, and signal‑intelligence systems. Armed with long‑range precision strike capability, AAROK can deploy four 250 kg bombs or two 500 kg munitions, and up to sixteen air‑to‑ground missiles with ranges up to 35 km, allowing stand‑off strikes in contested environments. The weapon suite features modular avionics interfaces for rapid integration, with dual‑mode guidance systems and CEP under 10 m, designed to hit high-value enemy targets while maintaining the UAV’s safety outside hostile air defense coverage. The airframe also supports external fuel tanks to maximize endurance.
Under the MoU, Bharat Forge will establish a local production line in India to ensure sovereign control over lifecycle maintenance, system upgrades, and export potential. This aligns with the government’s “Make in India” and Atmanirbhar Bharat directives aimed at reducing foreign dependency in critical defense technologies. The collaboration has sparked discussion within India’s defense ecosystem, with calls for state-run HAL to respond by innovating its own platforms such as adapting the HTT‑40 trainer for unmanned or optionally manned use. Bharat Forge’s agility is seen as a model for accelerating defense innovation and private-sector involvement in high-technology programs.
The Indo-French industrial partnership brings more than manufacturing benefits. It marks a pivotal development in India’s ability to co-develop next-generation aerial platforms with European allies, expanding beyond licensed production into design and systems integration. This venture not only enhances sovereign manufacturing capacity but also fosters advanced aerospace skills, high-value employment, and long-term capability growth within India’s private defense sector. By localizing components such as airframe sections, pylons, and mission systems, India strengthens its defense supply chain and boosts its global export potential for MALE-class UAVs.
AAROK’s induction would also carry strategic implications for India’s posture in South Asia. As tensions persist with Pakistan over contested borders and proxy threats, a domestically produced MALE UAV with precision strike and persistent surveillance capability offers a critical force multiplier. AAROK’s long loiter time and stand-off attack potential would provide India with the ability to monitor and respond rapidly to cross-border militant activity or military build-ups along the Line of Control. Its satellite connectivity and BLOS datalinks make it a dependable platform for ISR and counter-terrorism missions in remote or denied environments, offering decision-makers enhanced situational awareness and operational agility.
India’s growing need for advanced unmanned systems is driven by persistent tensions with Pakistan, particularly along the Line of Control and in regions prone to cross-border infiltration and asymmetric threats. Drones like the AAROK provide India with a critical capability to maintain round-the-clock surveillance, gather real-time intelligence, and conduct precision strikes without risking pilot lives. As Pakistan continues to expand its own UAV fleet and supports irregular proxy elements, India must scale up its drone operations to secure its borders, deter hostile activity, and maintain a technological edge in a rapidly evolving security environment.
On the operational front, AAROK introduces a transformative capability for India’s armed forces. Its long-endurance profile enables persistent surveillance over strategic corridors like the Malacca Strait and the Line of Actual Control. High-altitude operational range and comprehensive ISR payloads allow seamless tracking of ground and maritime threats across vast theatres. With satellite and line-of-sight communications, the UAV acts as a real-time sensor and strike node within India’s growing network-centric warfare structure. Capable of precision attacks and rapid data relay, AAROK will function as a battlefield multiplier, providing tactical overwatch, persistent engagement, and critical command linkages even in degraded or denied environments.
The AAROK contract represents a breakthrough moment for India’s defense industry by shifting from import-reliant assembly to co-development of strategic, high-end unmanned platforms. It not only elevates private sector involvement but also builds foundational skills and design capabilities within India, strengthening national security autonomy and reinforcing the country’s position as a competitive exporter of advanced defense systems.
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According to information published on the company LinkedIn account on June 18, 2025, Bharat Forge Ltd, one of India’s leading private-sector defense manufacturers, has signed a memorandum of understanding with French aerospace firm Turgis Gaillard to jointly promote and produce the AAROK medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle for the Indian Ministry of Defence.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The AAROK MALE UAV by Turgis Gaillard at Paris Air Show 2025 (Picture source: Army Recognition)
This collaboration represents a milestone in Indo-European defense cooperation, marking India’s first direct industrial entry into a full-scale, combat-capable MALE UAV program developed in the West. The AAROK, engineered by Gaillard ASA in France, is designed as a rugged, modular platform with a maximum take-off weight of 5,500 kg (11,000 lb), powered by a 1,200 hp turboprop engine and configured to carry up to 3,000 kg (6,000 lb) of payload including weapons, fuel, and sensors.
This UAV offers a flight endurance of 24 hours in fully‑armed configuration, extendable to 30 hours for ISR‑only missions, cruising at approximately 450 km/h (250 kt) at altitudes up to FL300–450 (~30,000 ft). Its 22 m wingspan and 14 m length accommodate large optronic sensors (up to 25″ diameter), multi‑mode radar, satellite communications, LOS/BLOS datalinks, and signal‑intelligence systems. Armed with long‑range precision strike capability, AAROK can deploy four 250 kg bombs or two 500 kg munitions, and up to sixteen air‑to‑ground missiles with ranges up to 35 km, allowing stand‑off strikes in contested environments. The weapon suite features modular avionics interfaces for rapid integration, with dual‑mode guidance systems and CEP under 10 m, designed to hit high-value enemy targets while maintaining the UAV’s safety outside hostile air defense coverage. The airframe also supports external fuel tanks to maximize endurance.
Under the MoU, Bharat Forge will establish a local production line in India to ensure sovereign control over lifecycle maintenance, system upgrades, and export potential. This aligns with the government’s “Make in India” and Atmanirbhar Bharat directives aimed at reducing foreign dependency in critical defense technologies. The collaboration has sparked discussion within India’s defense ecosystem, with calls for state-run HAL to respond by innovating its own platforms such as adapting the HTT‑40 trainer for unmanned or optionally manned use. Bharat Forge’s agility is seen as a model for accelerating defense innovation and private-sector involvement in high-technology programs.
The Indo-French industrial partnership brings more than manufacturing benefits. It marks a pivotal development in India’s ability to co-develop next-generation aerial platforms with European allies, expanding beyond licensed production into design and systems integration. This venture not only enhances sovereign manufacturing capacity but also fosters advanced aerospace skills, high-value employment, and long-term capability growth within India’s private defense sector. By localizing components such as airframe sections, pylons, and mission systems, India strengthens its defense supply chain and boosts its global export potential for MALE-class UAVs.
AAROK’s induction would also carry strategic implications for India’s posture in South Asia. As tensions persist with Pakistan over contested borders and proxy threats, a domestically produced MALE UAV with precision strike and persistent surveillance capability offers a critical force multiplier. AAROK’s long loiter time and stand-off attack potential would provide India with the ability to monitor and respond rapidly to cross-border militant activity or military build-ups along the Line of Control. Its satellite connectivity and BLOS datalinks make it a dependable platform for ISR and counter-terrorism missions in remote or denied environments, offering decision-makers enhanced situational awareness and operational agility.
India’s growing need for advanced unmanned systems is driven by persistent tensions with Pakistan, particularly along the Line of Control and in regions prone to cross-border infiltration and asymmetric threats. Drones like the AAROK provide India with a critical capability to maintain round-the-clock surveillance, gather real-time intelligence, and conduct precision strikes without risking pilot lives. As Pakistan continues to expand its own UAV fleet and supports irregular proxy elements, India must scale up its drone operations to secure its borders, deter hostile activity, and maintain a technological edge in a rapidly evolving security environment.
On the operational front, AAROK introduces a transformative capability for India’s armed forces. Its long-endurance profile enables persistent surveillance over strategic corridors like the Malacca Strait and the Line of Actual Control. High-altitude operational range and comprehensive ISR payloads allow seamless tracking of ground and maritime threats across vast theatres. With satellite and line-of-sight communications, the UAV acts as a real-time sensor and strike node within India’s growing network-centric warfare structure. Capable of precision attacks and rapid data relay, AAROK will function as a battlefield multiplier, providing tactical overwatch, persistent engagement, and critical command linkages even in degraded or denied environments.
The AAROK contract represents a breakthrough moment for India’s defense industry by shifting from import-reliant assembly to co-development of strategic, high-end unmanned platforms. It not only elevates private sector involvement but also builds foundational skills and design capabilities within India, strengthening national security autonomy and reinforcing the country’s position as a competitive exporter of advanced defense systems.
