Bengaluru-headquartered BEML said on Friday it would collaborate with IIT-Kanpur for joint indigenous development of pilotless target aircraft (PTA) and tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Both the organisations would synergise respective capabilities and undertake feasibility study, design and development, testing and validation of tactical UAVs and PTA, BEML said in a statement.
“The jointly developed products will substitute the currently imported UAVs and PTA and aims to achieve self- reliance at a reduced cost,” it said.
This, it said, would also help foster innovation and technology development in defence and aerospace by engaging various industries, including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.
“This will enable BEML to achieve a quantum jump in defence and aerospace business and provide a big thrust in ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the defence sector. The potential customers will constitute the armed forces, paramilitary and civilian,” the statement said.
Also, BEML announced that it is teaming up with NASSCOM CoE (Centre of Excellence) for artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)-related areas.
This tie-up aims at technical support for the implementation of AI and IoT in BEML products and to set up incubation centre for start-ups, it stated.
BEML’s MoUs with IIT-Kanpur and NASSCOM was signed in the virtual presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, among others, the statement added.
BEML company is India’s leading defence equipment manufacturer, BEML Limited keeps the Indian Army and other defence forces abreast with state-of-the-art military equipment. The company manufactures variants of BEML Tatra vehicle for all-terrain operations including Bridge Layer, Field Artillery Tractor, Medium & Heavy Recovery Vehicle, Pontoon Mainstream Bridge Systems, Crash Fire Tenders, Mobile Mast Vehicle, etc. BEML also supplies Engineering Mine Ploughs, Tank Transportation Trailers, Weapon Loading equipment, Armoured Recovery Vehicle, Milrail Coaches and Wagons. BEML plays a stellar role in the country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Project by supplying ground support vehicles. The company has also created a world-class test track at its KGF Complex to test defence equipment and vehicles.
BEML has forayed into Aerospace business to take advantage of the global and domestic opportunities available in the fast-expanding aerospace market in India. A new Aerospace Manufacturing Division was launched during Aero India 2009. The division manufactures Ground Support Equipment such as Aircraft Towing Tractor (ATT), Aircraft Weapon Loading Trolley, Multi-Purpose Weapon Loader (MPWL Bheema) and Crash Fire Tender (CFT).
The Aerospace Manufacturing is located at Mysore which is AS9100C accredited. The unit has a machine shop, sheet metal shop and heat treatment shop. The division has recently added a CNC wire cutting machine, a 3 axis CNC machine, 5 axis machining centre and Elastomeric press. The division proposes to add additional facilities to meet the various projects needs of its customers. The division has expertise in MIG and TIG welding operation for welding alloys such as Aluminium, Titanium and Maraging steel.