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On the Record
Ashok K. Baweja, Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautic Ltd.
Hindustan Aeronautic Ltd (HAL), India's largest aerospace company, is taking on new development programs and more local production work every year.
"HAL is highly diversified," said chairman Ashok Baweja in an interview with Show News. "A few years ago we launched the production of our latest indigenously designed multi-mission, multirole advanced light helicopter (ALH), called Dhruv, which is now in serial production for the armed forces and civil market and is promoted for export under a jv between HAL and Israel Aircraft Industries.”
HAL is accelerating production of the locally developed Dhruv to 36 per year as part of an order to supply over 200 helicopters to the Indian armed forces. The Dhruv is offered in several mission-specific, weaponized versions, and a new tandem-seat armed helicopter version is also scheduled for future Indian Air Force procurements.
“Currently under development and flight testing is the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), which is planned to enter low-rate production by 2007. noted Baweja. “The entire development of this aircraft was rather rapid, lasting only 42 months up to first flight. Two prototypes are currently undergoing flight evaluation and a total of around 120 flights have been completed so far. Once certified, the aircraft will enter production to enable early induction into service."
The IJT and Dhruv are on display here at Paris. The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft is also undergoing flight-testing and limited series production. This lightweight supersonic multirole strike fighter is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL to meet the Indian Air Force’s requirement for a contemporary front-line tactical fighter aircraft. Three aircraft currently participating in the flight-testing — two technology demonstrators and one prototype — have accumulated over 300 flight hours. Two more prototypes are planned in the next few months.
"HAL has developed the capability to produce a wide range in the latest generation of aircraft, helicopters and avionics from raw materials," said Baweja. "We currently produce everything from raw materials — entire aircraft, aviation parts and a number of engine types, both western and eastern made. We maintain several active production lines where different types of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are produced for the Indian armed forces."
Facilities for manufacturing Su-30 airframes, engines, accessories and avionics are being set up at five divisions of HAL. This year it handed over the first batch of locally produced Sukhoi Su-30MKIs
According to Baweja, HAL is preparing for the production of the Hawk advanced jet trainer, for which the company has signed a collaboration agreement with BAE Systems for the license manufacture of 42 aircraft. Delivery of the first HAL-built Hawk is scheduled for 2008.
Other activities are moving from production to focus on upgrading and support, for example of Sea Harriers for the Indian Navy and Jaguars for the Indian Air Force. The Jaguar is still in production, as is the Dornier Do 228, which HAL produces for the Navy.
"We plan to expand our activities on the commercial aviation market," Baweja told Show News. "Currently, we provide subcontracting work for major companies including Airbus Industrie, Eurocopter and Bell. With an excellent, highly skilled workforce of about 29,000 people, including designers, executives and skilled technicians in various fields, HAL is positioned to provide more services and subcontracting than ever before. For example, we are currently producing 1,000 ship-sets of A320 forward passenger doors and have recently delivered the first door assembly to Israel Aircraft Industries under subcontracting work for their Boeing 737 cargo conversion program.
“We are seeking deeper cooperation with the main suppliers such as Airbus and Boeing which are anticipating sales worth of over $ 9 billion in India. HAL is keen on direct offsets as part of the execution of such deals. In the past we have learned that offsets directed to aerospace manufacturers contributed to the development and growth of the local industrial infrastructure much more than indirect procurement. Our government understands this and supports our efforts for offsets."
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