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Leading defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) opened a third production line to enhance Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK1A manufacturing capacity to meet deadlines for acquisition of the fighters jets by the Indian Air Force.
Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurated the production line and also handed over the 100th Sukhoi-30 MKI Repair and Overhaul (ROH) aircraft to Air Vice Marshal Sarin, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Eng A), at a programme at the HAL’s Nashik facility on Friday. HAL already has two LCA manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru.
New concepts
The Defence Secretary lauded HAL’s efforts in taking up the challenge of setting up an ROH facility for Su-30 MKI and also for establishing a new production line for LCA manufacturing. He urged HAL to come up with new concepts and new systems for future growth, according to a Defence Ministry release. “The Government has come out with several ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ policies, and that puts HAL in a very important position. HAL will be producing more in the coming years. Build more systems, come out with new concepts, new platforms for future growth,” he stated.
Aramane urged HAL to take up new initiatives to aggressively compete in the defence market and look at new areas like unmanned vehicles as the country is in need of such advanced systems. He emphasised on Initiatives, innovation and excellence and focus on performance.
HAL CMD C B Ananthakrishnan said, “The new production line will enable the company to enhance LCA MK1A production capacity from 16 to 24 aircraft per year. HAL’s Nashik Division has achieved peak overhaul capacity of 20 Su-30 aircraft per year despite having supply chain issues in current geopolitical situations.” The IAF has commissioned 83 LCA MK1A to augment its fighter fleet.
ROH facility
The Ministry said HAL’s Nashik Division had set up Su-30 MKI Repair and Overhaul (ROH) facility in 2014, the first-of-its-kind anywhere in the world to meet the operational requirements of the IAF. Having gained experience from manufacturing MiG-series and Su30-MKI aircraft and subsequent overhaul of MiG-series aircraft, HAL successfully mastered the technology with valuable support from the IAF, regulatory bodies and private industries, it pointed out.
Several HAL sister divisions are involved in the ROH activities. HAL plans to reduce the dependency on OEM by indigenising majority of components required for ROH within the next 3-5 years, the Ministry added.
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