HAL to set up its facility in Kerala

New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will set up its unit in Kasaragod in Kerala, Defence Minister A K Atony announced here today.

With an initial expenditure of Rs 66.31 crore, the facility would be ready to start operation within 15 months and the production would commence from the fourth quarter of 2009-10, he told mediapersons at his residence.

Mr Atony would lay the foundation stone for the facility on August 23. Kerala Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem would preside over the function.

He said the facility at Kasaragod would initially do the Assembling, Testing and manufacture of six different types of air borne Mission computers.

Though the initial investment was estimated at Rs 66.31 crore, the investment would go up in future when other Systems and Sub Systems of MMRCA, Fifth Generation Aircraft, Light Combat Helicopter, Medium Lift Helicopter, IJT and other future Aircraft and Helicopters systems were taken up.

Mr Antony said the facility would be set up on 200 acres of land at Seethamkuly, near Kumbala, in Kasaragod district. The state government had provided the land on 99 years lease to HAL.

He said the Avionics Division of the Hyderabad-based HAL has been producing a wide variety of Avionics --communication, radar, navigation, mission computers and electronic warefare systems for fitment on various fixed and rotary wing airborne platforms viz.Su-30, HAWK AJT, LCA, IJT, ALH and several other aircraft upgrade programmes.

This division, he said, had major plans for upgradation of existing versions and design of newer versions of these systems for Jaguar, MMRCA, LCH and many other newer aircraft expected to be inducted into the service in the coming years.

''To cater the large requirement of these avionic systems in the coming years, it has been decided to set up a separate facility for manufacture wide variety of these system,'' Mr Antony said, adding that this would result in better operational effectiveness, delivery schedules and improved customer satisfaction.

He said the Kasaragod facility would be expanded in future to undertake the manufacture of Helicopter systems-- LCH, MLH ad LOH.

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