HAL to take off on Russian wings

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is confident of its prospects as a candidate for bigger contracts from global defence and civilian aerospace companies.

Ashok Baweja, chairman and managing director, HAL, said, "HAL is ready to take on greater opportunities and my objective has been to tell these global companies to consider that."

The company was targeting exports of Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) for 2004-05, which included exports to global defence contractors such as the French aerospace propulsion equipment maker, Snecma Group, aircraft engine maker Rolls Royce, helicopter firm Schweizer Aircraft Corporation and the Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi.

Roles are forthcoming on a risk sharing basis too. A Russian regional jet programme of a consortium led by Sukhoi has invited HAL to make parts for the jet.

The programme will make 60, 80 and 100 seater civilian jets for which there is a market in the former Soviet republics to replace fleets of ageing Tupolevs.

"HAL could make the empennage (tail assembly) and canopies for the jets, but we are studying the programme still," Baweja said. SBI Capital will help put up HAL's share of the investment in the programme if the aircraft maker decides to sign up. "A 10 per cent stake is being thought of," Baweja said.

The regional jet could also have a market in India, said KP Puri, HAL's managing director for MiG operations.

Also, a project that had been placed on the back burner, the multi-role military transport aircraft, following the exit of two Russian partners, was now going forward, Puri added.

"In December, we had discussions with the Russians. There are now three primary partners who will work on the multirole aircraft: Irkutsk, Ilyushin and HAL. This aircraft can also be converted into a 100-seater civilian passenger aircraft," he said.

The military aircraft will be for ferrying freight. "In six months I will be in a position to give you details on our investments in this project and on timeframes," Puri said.

Earlier, underscoring the Indian aeronautics industry's capabilities, Baweja said, "Making aircraft and aircraft engines is a difficult task, but after the long learning period of the Light Combat Aircraft, the intermediate jet trainer took just 42 months from drawing board to first flight."

This aircraft, currently powered by a French engine, in its final form will fly on a more powerful Russian engine, the Al 55I, supplied by the firms, NPO Saturn and UMPO.

That India did not have a major aircraft engine it could truly call its own should not be a reason to believe the country's aeronautics industry did not have anything to offer, he said.

According to Baweja, HAL was good at making doors for aircraft such as those from Airbus. "We have an order worth $80 million for the doors, to be delivered over the next few years," he said.