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Bharat Forge has partnered with French-Canadian company FLYING WHALES to build heavy-lift airships for India's defence needs.
The deets: the partnership will focus on FLYING WHALES' LCA60T, a massive cargo airship that can carry up to 60 tonnes of equipment.
Unlike conventional aircraft, it can take off and land vertically without needing a runway, making it ideal for remote areas, mountains and border regions where traditional transport is difficult.
Who brings what: FLYING WHALES will bring the airship technology, while Bharat Forge will contribute its engineering, defence manufacturing and production expertise.
Together, the companies plan to manufacture, integrate and eventually localise these airships in India. This will create a domestic ecosystem for a technology that the country currently doesn't produce.
Zoom out: back in April, Flying Whales and India's BLP Group had partnered to build a comprehensive manufacturing ecosystem for heavy-lift cargo airships within India.
India currently has no indigenous heavy-lift cargo airships in service. Until now, the country has relied on helicopters and cargo aircraft for moving heavy equipment to remote and border areas. Recognising this gap, the Indian Air Force this year launched a Make-I programme.
