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Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha will review the ongoing projects of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) during a two-day visit to its facilities in Nasik and Bangalore.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha will review the ongoing projects of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) during a two-day visit to its facilities in Nasik and Bangalore.
Accompanied by Secretary (Defence Production) Gokul Chandra Pati and other senior officials from HAL and the IAF, Raha is expected to take stock of all major manufacture, overhaul and upgrade programmes. This is Raha’s first visit to HAL after taking over as the Chief of Air Staff in January this year.
Raha’s visit will begin with HAL’s MiG complex in Nasik on June 7, where India’s frontline fighter Sukhois (Su-30 MKI) are manufactured and overhauled. Sources said the air chief would visit the flight hangars, ROH (repair and overhaul) facilities, assembly line, machine shop, functional test labs and system test units.
The air chief is also visiting the enhanced Kopyo (the radar used on MiG fighters) test lab in Nasik. Sources said the Sukhois’ cost escalation issue was unlikely to come up during Raha’s visit, since the matter was being taken up at the ministry level.
The chief will also be updated on the technology advancements of the Nasik division, which is the nodal agency for integrating supersonic BrahMos missiles on Sukhoi.
Currently a Sukhoi is undergoing system integration tests ahead of the flight trials with the air-launched version of BrahMos. The flight tests are set to begin in October and the missile is expected to enter the IAF rolls officially next year.
Raha will arrive in Bangalore on Sunday and review various IAF projects being undertaken at HAL’s Bangalore complex, helicopter complex and design complex. The state-of-the-art Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas series production facility, which is currently abuzz with activities ahead of the expected roll out of the first aircraft (SP-1) in August, will be an important stop for Raha.
Though the IAF has already placed confirmed orders of 40 Tejas, HAL is pushing for 200 aircraft as an immediate replacement of the MiGs.
Sources said he Hawk manufacturing facility, Mirage and Jaguar overhaul/upgrade installations would be on the chief’s radar.
Bolstering Ties
Raha’s comprehensive visit to HAL is significant considering the strained relationship the IAF had with India’s leading defence public sector undertaking in the recent past. While HAL is keen to take risks and invest its own funds in new projects, the IAF feels HAL should focus on its strengths and not venture into projects.
“There are issues and there were issues in the past as well. Today, HAL has improved its record on delivery and in the serviceability front. We will have more insights from the chief during the visit, which will help us serve the IAF better,” said an HAL official here.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha will review the ongoing projects of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) during a two-day visit to its facilities in Nasik and Bangalore.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha will review the ongoing projects of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) during a two-day visit to its facilities in Nasik and Bangalore.
Accompanied by Secretary (Defence Production) Gokul Chandra Pati and other senior officials from HAL and the IAF, Raha is expected to take stock of all major manufacture, overhaul and upgrade programmes. This is Raha’s first visit to HAL after taking over as the Chief of Air Staff in January this year.
Raha’s visit will begin with HAL’s MiG complex in Nasik on June 7, where India’s frontline fighter Sukhois (Su-30 MKI) are manufactured and overhauled. Sources said the air chief would visit the flight hangars, ROH (repair and overhaul) facilities, assembly line, machine shop, functional test labs and system test units.
The air chief is also visiting the enhanced Kopyo (the radar used on MiG fighters) test lab in Nasik. Sources said the Sukhois’ cost escalation issue was unlikely to come up during Raha’s visit, since the matter was being taken up at the ministry level.
The chief will also be updated on the technology advancements of the Nasik division, which is the nodal agency for integrating supersonic BrahMos missiles on Sukhoi.
Currently a Sukhoi is undergoing system integration tests ahead of the flight trials with the air-launched version of BrahMos. The flight tests are set to begin in October and the missile is expected to enter the IAF rolls officially next year.
Raha will arrive in Bangalore on Sunday and review various IAF projects being undertaken at HAL’s Bangalore complex, helicopter complex and design complex. The state-of-the-art Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas series production facility, which is currently abuzz with activities ahead of the expected roll out of the first aircraft (SP-1) in August, will be an important stop for Raha.
Though the IAF has already placed confirmed orders of 40 Tejas, HAL is pushing for 200 aircraft as an immediate replacement of the MiGs.
Sources said he Hawk manufacturing facility, Mirage and Jaguar overhaul/upgrade installations would be on the chief’s radar.
Bolstering Ties
Raha’s comprehensive visit to HAL is significant considering the strained relationship the IAF had with India’s leading defence public sector undertaking in the recent past. While HAL is keen to take risks and invest its own funds in new projects, the IAF feels HAL should focus on its strengths and not venture into projects.
“There are issues and there were issues in the past as well. Today, HAL has improved its record on delivery and in the serviceability front. We will have more insights from the chief during the visit, which will help us serve the IAF better,” said an HAL official here.
