Bangladesh to Set up Drone Manufacturing JV with China in New Bogra Airbase

Bangladesh is moving to establish a joint venture with China to manufacture medium altitude long endurance (MALE) drones at a proposed new airbase in Bogra.

The project involves collaboration with CETC International, part of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, to set up a manufacturing facility for UAVs under a technology transfer framework. The planned site is the proposed Bogra airbase, an area described by Bangladeshi officials as strategically located.

Local media reported that Bangladesh Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmood Khan disclosed the plan, noting that it would include both development of the airbase and the creation of domestic capacity to produce UAVs. The initiative is intended to support indigenous manufacturing rather than rely solely on imports.

Bangladesh’s finance ministry approved the project on 6 January at a cost of Tk608.08 crore, or about $50 million, as per older reports. Of this amount, Tk570.60 crore is allocated over four fiscal years for importing and installing manufacturing plant and technology, while Tk37.47 crore is earmarked for local costs such as value-added tax and letter of credit-related charges.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who oversees the defence ministry, reportedly cleared the proposal before the finance ministry’s approval. Funding will come from the Bangladesh Air Force’s existing budget, with no additional allocations planned.

The final contract value was reduced from an initial Tk643.61 crore to Tk608.07 crore following negotiations with the Chinese partner. CETC International is a state-owned defence electronics conglomerate whose systems are in service across multiple regions worldwide, including Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The U.S. sanctioned-CETC is a leading manufacturer of defense electronics besides advanced drones.

The MALE drone planned for manufacture in Bangladesh could be the XY-I, a medium-sized, multi-purpose unmanned aircraft unveiled during Airshow China 2022 for civilian and military mapping and surveillance. A scale model was shown by CETC, with a design based on the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2.

According to CETC, the XY-I offers full autonomous flight and all-day endurance and is intended for dual-use military and civilian missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, border patrol, electronic warfare, communications, and attack roles. Like the Bayraktar TB2, it features a blended wing body and inverted V-tail, but differs in engine layout, using a two-blade pusher propeller.

The platform supports a wide range of quickly interchangeable payloads, including electro-optical, reconnaissance, and communication systems, as well as weapons such as bombs and air-to-surface missiles. CETC did not disclose detailed technical specifications.