On the Record with
Shri Nalini Ranjan Mohanty,
Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

"HAL's main strategic priorities are aimed at becoming a global force in the aerospace field from a 10-year plan, which includes an extension of current industrial partnerships." Thus says Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd chairman Shri Nalini Ranjan Mohanty, speaking to Show News here at Asian Aerospace.

The group's most recent project, he said, is a joint venture stemming from an Indo-Russian MoU signed last June between HAL, the Ilyushin group, and the Irkutsk Aircraft Production Organization for a new multi-role twin-turbofan military and civil transport. Shown as a large-scale model on HAL's Asian Aerospace stand, the aircraft is being co-designed, co-developed and co-funded by both countries on an equal basis, for their joint requirements. These include a 15- to 20-ton cargo capacity, or up to 100 passengers. Russian sources have indicated a target fly-away unit cost of $12 million to $17 million, with possible national installations of PS90 and Rolls-Royce BR 710 turbofans.

Progress reported by the HAL chairman on some of HAL's many other projects includes HAL's largest program by far, which is the planned $3.3 billion licensed production of 140 Sukhoi Su-30MKI jets at the HAL's Nasik facility, at the rate of about 10 to 12 per year. Tooling-up has already started at Nasik for Su-30MKI, which will progressively involve HAL production of every component, including its Lyulka AL-31FP turbofans and their thrust-vectoring nozzles. HAL will also be involved in their avionics, initially supplied from French, Israeli, and South African sources. The IAF expects its first locally-assembled Su-30MKIs from Nasik in 2004. Meanwhile, deliveries of 32 Russian-built IAF Su-30MKIs will start in the next few weeks, through 2003, and the 18 initially-delivered Su-30s will receive MKI upgrades.

After prolonged development, limited serial production deliveries have started from Bangalore of the first eight HAL Advanced Light Helicopters to all three Indian services, from geared-up completion schedules for about 300 aircraft. The ALHs are initially powered by Turbomeca TM333 turboshafts, but co-development has also started with Turbomeca of a more powerful (1,207shp) engine. Known as the Ardiden, or Shakti, this will improve hot-and-high performance of Indian army and IAF utility ALHs, plus those now targeted for export to tropical operators. Apart from another 20 IAF/army Cheetahs and Chetaks, further HAL helicopter production includes a dozen Lancer attack versions, plus six letters of intent.

Following IAF agreement on digital avionics and equipment standardization, contracts have been finalized for follow-on production of 20 more single-seat BAe Jaguar strike-fighters and 17 additional two-seat combat trainer versions for the IAF, and upgrades to similar standards of its existing Jaguar force.

First flight is planned by the year-end of HAL's new and largely composite HJT-36 Intermediate Jet Trainer, initially powered by a Snecma Larzac turbofan, pending final powerplant selection.

HAL's well-established Dornier Do 228 transport/patrol aircraft production , including its Honeywell TPE331-5 turboprops, is being extended by 22 from its original 76, from new IAF, navy and coastguard contracts.

By John Fricker