London. The state-run HAL will deliver 16 Light Combat Aircraft from 2019, and given the orders from the Indian Air Force (IAF), it will be able to ramp up the production to 24 aircraft per year by setting up a third assembly line.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) T Suvarna Raju told India Strategic in an interview at the Farnborough International Airshow here that the LCA is designed as a modular aircraft, and HAL is now set to outsource production of Front, Centre and Rear fuselage components as well as the Wings to the private industry. The process of certification of these major components is on, and once HAL accepts their quality assurance, “we will be able to speed up the aircraft production with HAL becoming the Integrator.”
HAL, which earlier used to produce nearly everything by itself, has been hand holding the private industry for some time, encouraging it to manufacture components with composite materials, and the vital gearbox. “We have 2000 engineers and some of our own technologies, and we want to share and encourage the private industry to develop in a big way in the aerospace sector, both for aircraft and helicopters.”
Third LCA Assembly Line
Mr Raju said HAL will complete delivery of 12 LCA Tejas in 2018, and ramp up the production to 16 next year, thanks to the second assembly line it has set up in Bangalore, where the company is headquartered. “We are in talks with IAF for the projected order of 83 Mark IA aircraft, and keeping that in mind, a third assembly line will be set up in Bangalore itself, where the LCA is currently produced.”
HAL’s first assembly line there has the capacity to produce eight aircraft in a year.
HAL has in hand an order for 40 LCAs, the first 20 in IOC (Initial Operational Clearance) configuration, and the next in FOC (Final Operational Clearance) configuration. Nine aircraft have been delivered, including two two-seat trainers, so far.
IAF wants six more trainers but they will be produced later, the momentum at the time being for single seat combat jets.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2018 من India Strategic.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2018 من India Strategic.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
RTX's Pratt & Whitney expands India Operations
BENGALURU. Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, announced the establishment of its new India Digital Capability Center (IDCC) in Bengaluru.
BEL Anticipates Order Inflow of Rs. 25,000 Crore in 2024
BENGALORE. Bhanu Prakash Srivastava, the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the Navaratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking, expects order inflow to cross the Rs. 25,000-crore mark for financial year 2024. As of now, the order book stands at around Rs. 23,200 crore order book.
GA-ASI Demonstrates Release of A2LE from MQ-20 Avenger UAS
SAN DIEGO. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) successfully demonstrated an inflight release of its Advanced AirLaunched Effects (A2LE) platform, releasing an A2LE from the internal weapons bay of a GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger® Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The demonstration took place on Nov. 28, 2023, over Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, capping a manufacturing, structural test, and flight demonstration.
Maiden Indian Navy - Royal Thai Navy bilateral exercise and 36th Edition of Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol
The maiden Bilateral Maritime Exercise between the Indian Navy (IN) and Royal Thai Navy(RTN) was conducted from December 20 to 23.
Defence Minister commissions Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer INS Imphal in Mumbai
NEW DELHI. INS Imphal, a Pro ject 15B s tea l th guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at an impressive ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on December 26.
Indian Air and Space Force (IASF)
e Space fighters, Military satellites IAF plans to transform into a Superpower in space
Defence Minister reviews Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal
NEW DELHI. To mark the successful culmination of training of 213 Flight Cadets of the flying and ground duty branches of the Indian Air Force (IAF), a Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) was held at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal in Telangana on December 17.
Strengthening Indo-US Relationship in Amrit Kaal and Aatmanirbhar Bharat
NEW DELHI. The capital and technological knowhow from the United States of America can help India to achieve its goal of becoming a developed country by 2047, while investments here can give the American companies high returns and an avenue of de-risking.
Rajnath Singh's UK visit takes forward bilateral Defence cooperation
NEW DELHI. Defence ties between India and the United Kingdom received a boost during the visit of Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh for talks with his British counterpart Mr. Grant Shapps in London during January 8-10, this year.
VMAN Orders 10 new generation Amphibian Aircraft to connect Indian Waterways US company Mallard to supply ME-1As to Gujarat based leasing company
HYDERABAD/ NEW DELHI. It's Time to Fly from the Rivers, Coast, or Lakes, to connect India's various regions, both for civil and military requirements.
