Bangladesh’s Drone Ambitions Take Off With China, Turkey

Bangladesh is moving to establish a domestic drone manufacturing industry through partnerships with China and Turkey, as the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) seeks to build local capacity in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The BAF signed a government-to-government agreement with China Electronics Technology Group Corporation International (CETC) to establish a UAV manufacturing and assembly facility in Bangladesh, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate.

The agreement includes technology transfer, technical cooperation and capacity building. The facility is expected to initially manufacture and assemble Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) and Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs, with the longer-term objective of developing indigenous platforms in Bangladesh.

China Partnership

The agreement with CETC is designed to develop Bangladesh's expertise beyond assembly and procurement. ISPR said the programme will include technology transfer, training and knowledge-sharing in UAV production and maintenance.

The planned facility is intended to help the BAF build local expertise and eventually develop indigenous UAV systems. ISPR said the capabilities could also support humanitarian assistance and disaster-management operations.

The technology-transfer framework is expected to cover areas including design knowledge, production processes, system integration and maintenance, with the initial focus on MALE and VTOL platforms.

Turkey Partnership

The BAF is also partnering with a Turkish entity to establish an unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing plant in the northern city of Bogura, alongside a planned air force base, according to a report by Nikkei Asia.

The proposed venture was announced last month, but Bangladesh has released few details about the arrangement.

The identity of the Turkish partner, the investment value, ownership structure, production capacity, implementation timeline and types of drones to be manufactured have not been disclosed.

Building Local Capability

The two partnerships form part of Bangladesh's effort to develop domestic expertise in drone production rather than rely entirely on imported systems.

The China agreement provides a clearer framework for technology transfer, training and local manufacturing, while details of the planned Turkish partnership remain limited.

The BAF's stated objective under the China agreement is eventually to develop indigenous UAV platforms, suggesting that Bangladesh is seeking to move from importing drones towards building a domestic production and maintenance ecosystem.