HAL may put in Rs 2,000 crore for Sukhoi 30 spares hub
NEW DELHI: With defence minister Manohar Parrikar determined to increase the efficiency of the existing fighter fleet, stateowned PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is working on a pact with the air force and the Russian government to set up a spares hub for Sukhoi 30 fighters in India.
The Russian origin aircraft has been facing technical difficulties with several fighter grounded for prolonged periods as the current process of ordering spare parts is time consuming and inefficient. This has resulted in a situation in which at any given point of time, only 5055 percent of the fleet is ready for operations. The aim is to increase this to at least 75 percent.
Sources have told ET that HAL is looking to invest over Rs 2,000 crore to create a spares hub that will store and deliver all parts needed for the fleet. A long term spares agreement is likely to be signed between India and Russian shortly that will help in reducing the amount of time frontline fighters are grounded due to technical issues.
Senior officials said that as per the new agreement, the Air Force will source all its spares from HAL that will maintain an inventory of parts. As per current practice, spare parts are to be ordered separately with a lengthy process involving license, customs clearance and bank guarantees.
The plan is to have a system in place that will ensure that spare parts are delivered within days of the Air Force raising a requirement. Officials told ET that at times, the bureaucratic processes would lead to even a yearlong waiting time between the Air Force raising a requirement and the spare part getting manufactured. The Su 30 fighter 272 of the planes have been ordered is India's largest fighter fleet with bases in the east as well along the western borders.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...sukhoi-30-spares-hub/articleshow/53919425.cms
NEW DELHI: With defence minister Manohar Parrikar determined to increase the efficiency of the existing fighter fleet, stateowned PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is working on a pact with the air force and the Russian government to set up a spares hub for Sukhoi 30 fighters in India.
The Russian origin aircraft has been facing technical difficulties with several fighter grounded for prolonged periods as the current process of ordering spare parts is time consuming and inefficient. This has resulted in a situation in which at any given point of time, only 5055 percent of the fleet is ready for operations. The aim is to increase this to at least 75 percent.
Sources have told ET that HAL is looking to invest over Rs 2,000 crore to create a spares hub that will store and deliver all parts needed for the fleet. A long term spares agreement is likely to be signed between India and Russian shortly that will help in reducing the amount of time frontline fighters are grounded due to technical issues.
Senior officials said that as per the new agreement, the Air Force will source all its spares from HAL that will maintain an inventory of parts. As per current practice, spare parts are to be ordered separately with a lengthy process involving license, customs clearance and bank guarantees.
The plan is to have a system in place that will ensure that spare parts are delivered within days of the Air Force raising a requirement. Officials told ET that at times, the bureaucratic processes would lead to even a yearlong waiting time between the Air Force raising a requirement and the spare part getting manufactured. The Su 30 fighter 272 of the planes have been ordered is India's largest fighter fleet with bases in the east as well along the western borders.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...sukhoi-30-spares-hub/articleshow/53919425.cms
