BENGALURU, Jan 28:
BrahMos integrated Sukhoi, built by public-sector aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), will be ready by March-2015, HAL Chairman R K Tyagi said today. Mr Tyagi, who is relinquishing office on January 31, in an interaction with the media, said “integration of BrahMos missile has been completed and the first Sukhoi will be ready by March 2015.”
HAL recently conducted the critical Ground Vibration Test (GVT) on a Sukhoi aircraft, which is being integrated with the air version of the BrahMos missile jointly developed by India and Russia. The GVT is an important step towards the modification of the Sukhois, which are set to carry the BrahMos missiles in future.
“The recent GVT was aimed at assessing the dynamic behavior of the modified Sukhoi platform. The tests were carried out for a total of nine configurations,” he said.
Dr Tyagi said the development of much delayed Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) was on right track and this year the initial operation will commence. IJT has received initial operational clearance (IOC) and tests have been completed. The process on modifying the ‘spin’ may be completed in the next 15 days. Stating that about Rs 7000 crore have been invested by HAL since last three years for moderanisation of its manufacturing and assembly lines, he said that more thrust was given for manufacturing prototype aircraft.
According to a conservative estimation there may be demand for 1500 helicopters in the next five years, new technologies have been adopted in Research and Development replacing outdated machinery.
Referring to handing over the first LCA to Navy recently, Dr Tyagi said HAL had sought permission to manufacture 16 LCA per year against present sanction for eight LCA.
“HAL is capable of producing 16 LCA per year and moreover the present sanction takes long time to fulfill the demand. More than 180 combat aircraft is the demand by Defence sectors,” Mr Tyagi said.
He said HAL had also drawn up plans for additional investment for increasing the number of LCA manufacturing. It was estimated that Rs 1300 crore may be needed and Navy and Air Force might be asked to invest 25 per cent each and the balance 50 per cent would be done by HAL.
He said India, which was 9th in the world in using civil aircraft, might become third largest consumer by 2020 and there was urgent need to give boost for manufacturing aircraft needed to meet the demand.
NAL and HAL is in the process of preparing a blue print on Special Vehicle Purpose and it should be ready in one year. Government should also contribute towards investment.
Replying to a question, he said HAL had a domineering 60 per cent share of India’s defence equipment exports. Claiming that HAL focused on patents and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), he said over the last three years, the company had transformed itself into a technology driven company from being just a manufacturing company. There were only two patents filed in March 2012 but today HAL had filed 1067 patents.
HAL had chalked out effective action plans for its projects HTT 40, FGFA, MTA, MMRCA, UAVs and 25 KN aero-engine. The company has taken a slew of measures to diversify into new business segments. It had started a new Strategic Business Unit (SBU) for Unmanned Aerial vehicles to cater to national and international UAV requirements.
About FGFA and MTA, he said they being c-development projects HAL was involved with the Russian agencies. They are in their preliminary design phases and are progressing as envisaged. ‘A few years from now, HAL will have ALH, LCH, LUH, IJT, LCA and the Basic Trainer fully certified in its products profile.
HAL would be in a position to deliver home grown products to the Indian Armed forces as well as export these products in significant numbers against competition fro the global OEMs,’ he added. (UNI)
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