HAL building more Su-30 MKI fighters

India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. is building 42 more Russian Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft for the Indian military.
The deal between HAL, the Ministry of Defense and Russia's Rosoboronexport was signed just ahead of a visit to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"HAL's total responsibility for this supersonic multirole aircraft has now gone up to 222," said HAL Chairman R. K. Tyagi. "This will further boost our confidence and operations as we have already delivered 119 Su-30 aircraft to the air force.
"We will continue to contribute to the country's defense preparedness."
The twin-seat Su-30 MKI has a maximum speed of 1,320 miles per hour at altitude (839 mph near ground level) and a service ceiling of more than 58,000 feet. It is a variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 and was specifically developed for India.
HAL said 157 Indian vendors are involved in providing 13,350 components of the aircraft and that HAL divisions produce another 19,450 components for the plane.
"The Su-30 MKI project provides solid platform to indigenous manufacturing and technical competence creating hundreds of direct and indirect jobs," the company said. "HAL's hand-holding with private
entrepreneurs has also ensured creation of strong infrastructure and quality avionics products."

Define HAL's role in MMRCA project: Dassault to Defence Ministry

After bagging the multi-billion dollar deal for supplying 126 Rafale fighter aircraft to the IAF, French firm Dassault Aviation has asked the Defence Ministry to define the role of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in the project.

If the contract is finalised, the first 18 aircraft would be supplied by Dassault directly to the Indian Air Force and the remaining 108 would be licence-produced at HAL facilities in Bangalore.

The French Dassault has asked the Ministry to define the role of the premier Indian aerospace company in the final delivery of the 108 aircraft to be produced in India, industry sources told PTI here.

As per the IAF tender issue for the project, the primary role for integration and supply of these aircraft would be of the HAL, which is successfully working on several important fighter aircraft projects such as the Su-30MKI project.

The French company has told the Ministry that if it is given the overall responsibility for the project, it should be given the freedom to decide on the proportion of work to be done by the HAL and private companies in the programme, they said.

In that case, the firm would determine the role of the defence and security wing of a new Indian defence company in the project and a major share of work would be given to it, they said.

Soon after Dassault was declared as the lowest bidder for the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) deal pipping EAD's Eurofighter, it signed an MoU with a Reliance Industries Limited company for working together in the security sector. It is currently negotiating the deal with the Defence Ministry and the IAF.

For completing the Indian project, Dassault has also opened an Indian subsidiary company here. The company named Dassault Aircraft Services India Private Limited (DASIPL) was set up recently and it is 100 per cent owned by its French parent company, they said.

HAL inaugurates factory for military aircraft avionics

Singapore - India has inaugurated a new Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) factory in the south Indian city of Kasaragod that will produce avionics for military aircraft and helicopters.

 

"Avionics plays a major role in functioning of modern aircraft and contributes significantly to the value of an aircraft/helicopter," says HAL chairman RK Tyagi.

"Considering the huge potential of avionics systems in the coming years, a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for a variety of avionics has been established at Kasaragod. This would result in better operational effectiveness and improved customer satisfaction."

The ground breaking of the factory occurred in August 2008. The total investment cost for the project was Indian rupees (Rs) 660 million ($12 million).

"Presently, the production of airborne special purpose computers like mission computer, display processor, radar computers, open architect mission computer, etc for the Sukhoi SU-30, HAL Tejas and Mikoyan MiG-27 upgrade have been taken up at this factory," says HAL.

In the future, the factory will expand to produce equipment for India's medium multirole combat aircraft such as active electronic scanned array radars, the electronic warfare suite and other equipment.

In future, the factory will undertake work for a number of other future types such as the fifth generation fighter aircraft, multirole transport aircraft, light utility helicopter, light combat helicopter, medium lift helicopter and unmanned air vehicles.

HAL and UAC-TA sign MTA preliminary design phase contract

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a preliminary design phase (PDP) contract with United Aircraft Corporation - Transport Aircraft (UAC-TA) and JV-Multirole Transport Aircraft Limited (MTAL) for a proposed Il-214 multirole transport aircraft (MTA) project.

The contract is a follow-on deal to a general contrac previously signed by the three companies in May 2012.

HAL chairman RK Tyagi said the companies will immediately commence the preliminary design work at Moscow, with 30 HAL designers will be based at UAC-TA.

A detail design phase (DDP) contract is expected to be signed to start work on the MTA, following the completion of HAL's PDP contract.

Design and development work is scheduled to be conducted at HAL's Aircraft R&D Centre (ARDC) at Bangalore, while the MTA prototype and subsequent serial production will be carried out at its Transport Aircraft Division (TAD) at Kanpur, India.

Other HAL R&D centres and manufacturing divisions will be responsible for production of systems and line replaceable units (LRUs), components, sub-assemblies and composite structure.

An Inter Governmental Agreement was signed between HAL and UAC-TA in November 2007 for the production of 205 MTA, of which 100 are intended for the Russian Air Force, 45 for Indian Air Force (IAF), while the remaining 60 will be supplied to third-party nations.

Powered by Russian-made Aviadvigatel PD-14 turbofan engines, the Il-214 MTA is a medium-lift military transport aircraft designed to conduct regular cargo and troop transport duties, such as emergency and rescue operations.

The aircraft's first test flight is expected in 2014, followed by entry into operational service by 2016.

Indian Navy helicopter crashes in Goa, three people including both pilots killed

Two co-pilots of an  Indian Navy Chetak helicopter have died after it crashed in Goa

A diver who was on board has also been killed.

The rotor of the helicopter, which had flown from Mumbai to Dabolim, broke off while landing, the PTI has reported quoting Navy sources. The chopper then caught fire, they said.

A press release issued by the Navy says ... The helicopter on transit from Mumbai to Bangalore was to make a scheduled re-fuelling halt at Goa. A Board of Inquiry to ascertain the cause has been ordered.