HAL Kanpur to take up IJT Production

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Bangalore, May 24: Defence Aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HAL will shift production of indigenously developed Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), Sitara, to its Kanpur unit from Bangalore.

The IJT which is currently undergoing test flights was expected to be ready for certification in 2008. The initial production phase would be in Bangalore, but from 2010 the HAL Kanpur unit which had been producing Dorniers and Avros would take up IJT.

HAL Director (Corporate Planning and Marketing) M Fakruddin said besides the huge requirement of IAF (number estimated at 225) as it planned to phase out the Kiran trainers, IJT had good export potential as it was only one of its kind in the world. Similar trainer aircraft elsewhere were turbo-props, while IJT is a turbojet trainer he said.

Apart from the Advanced Light Helicoptr (ALH) Dhruv for which HAL would shortly be signing contract with Boliva for two aircraft and respond in June to the Request for Proposal from Chile for about four to six choppers. Chile had shortlisted ALH after extensive trials on its rugged ness to operate in high altitudes, tough terrains and severe hot and cold conditions.

During the Aero India show here in February this year one of the IJTs went off the runaway while taking off for an aerial display due to a tyre burst causing extensive damage to the aircraft. Mr Fakruddin said that the aircraft was currently being made flight worthy.

The project began in 1999, with the first prototype flying on March 7 2003. The Limited Series Production (LSP) order of the Indian Air Force of 12 was supposed to be delivered in 2005-06.

Initial prototypes have flown with the Snecma Larzac engine, while the production models would fly with the more powerful Saturn AL-55I engine with about 16.9 kN of thrust.

On the export front, Mr Fakruddin said that the Company was currently looking for major orders and was even gearing up to take up partnership with the private sector for joint development of aviation packages. On engineering and Design aspects, the company had already signed up a joint venture with the Infotech group of Hyderabad to float a 50:50 partnership on designing and development of products.

The joint venture, to operate from Bangalore would have design engineers from the Hyderabad based softtware company working with HAL to develop products. If necessary HAL could itself take up manafacture of such projects. Such programmes on a long term basis should yield upwards of 500 million dollars in exports. HAL was also talking with various other IT companies for another joint venture, he said adding that HAL was capable of even producing Airframes for foreign aviation majors.

He said HAL was continuing negotiations with Russia in the development of a fifth genertion fighter aircraft. Eventhough Russia had taken up the programme in full swing, it had sought India's investment and also participation in co development of the new generation fighter aircraft.

UNI

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