- Czech drone maker U&C UAS signed a contract with India’s TUNGA Aerospace to supply unmanned aerial systems and provide pilot and operator training.
- The deal marks U&C UAS’s entry into the Asian defense market and reflects expanding EU–India cooperation in unmanned defense technologies.
A Czech unmanned systems manufacturer with Ukrainian roots has entered the Indian defense market after signing a contract to supply unmanned aerial systems to a local aerospace firm, marking a new phase in defense-industrial cooperation between Europe and India.
According to a report by CZDEFENCE, U&C UAS signed the contract on February 3, 2026, with TUNGA Aerospace Industries Private Limited, a supplier to India’s armed forces. The agreement covers the delivery of unmanned aerial systems along with a comprehensive support package, including professional training for pilots and system operators.
The deal builds on earlier cooperation between the two companies and represents a shift from preliminary collaboration to an operational phase in bilateral drone development. For U&C UAS, the contract marks its first formal entry into the Asian market after previously supplying customers in NATO countries, the European Union, and Ukraine.
As reported by czdefence.cz, the agreement includes the initial production of reconnaissance drones combined with loitering munitions for the Indian customer. In later stages, the cooperation is expected to expand to interceptor drones designed to counter hostile unmanned aerial vehicles.
“We managed to conclude a contract with a major strategic partner in the Indian market that supplies the Indian armed forces,” said David Jirman, commercial director of U&C UAS. “This step allows us to enter the Asian market. Until now, we have signed contracts with customers from NATO countries, the European Union, and Ukraine. For the Indian customer, we will first manufacture surveillance drones in combination with loitering munitions, followed later by interceptors designed to shoot down enemy drones.”
The companies stated that the contract is intended as the starting point for broader cooperation. Both sides expect the partnership to develop into a long-term framework that could include joint research, development, and manufacturing of unmanned aerial systems tailored to Indian and export requirements.
The agreement is also viewed as one of the early practical examples of renewed defense-industrial ties between European and Indian companies following deeper political and economic engagement between Brussels and New Delhi. Industry representatives note that European drone manufacturers are increasingly looking to India as a production partner and end user, given its expanding defense procurement plans and emphasis on domestic manufacturing.
The timing of the contract follows the signing of a free trade agreement between the European Union and India on January 27, 2025. That agreement created new conditions for industrial, technological, and defense cooperation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, with defense technologies and high-tech manufacturing identified as priority areas.
U&C UAS is known for the serial production of modified versions of Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems, including platforms derived from the Leleka and Bulava drone families. These systems have been adapted based on operational experience gained during the war in Ukraine, particularly in reconnaissance, target acquisition, and counter-drone roles.