Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews March 4, 2013 Defense Queries Answered Today (Verbatim) in Lok Sabha on- HAL- So what’s new? More Excuses? Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has taken up indigenous production of SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Jet Trainer (Hawk), Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), Advance Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and Dornier-228 for the defence forces. Dornier-228 program has been as per schedule. There have been some delays in deliveries in respect of production programs of other aircraft. In the initial stages of the projects, delays were due to additional re-work on jigs in Hawk, late receipt of drawings from Russia for Su-30 MKI, integration issues of Integrated Architecture and Display System (IADS) with Shakti engine and other new items in respect of ALH and design and development issues relating to IJT and LCA. The certification of IJT was also delayed due to an accid...

AIN NEWS LIVE FROM AEROINDIA  »  2013 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Indian defense minister AK Antony has expressed his impatience over long delays to HAL's Light Combat Aircraft program. {Photo: Pradip Dasgupta, Indian MoD]]. February 5, 2013, 7:00 AM India’s defense minister A K Antony today admonished the country’s Defense Research Development Organization ( DRDO ) for “delays in delivery” and said he was “impatient” to see completion of the Light Combat Aircraft ( LCA ) program. Antony was addressing the “Aerospace products- challenges in design to deployment” seminar held as part of the biennial Aero India show in Bangalore. “I am happy for your achievements at  DRDO  but not fully happy,” said the minister. “Delay in delivery is a real problem… Try to speed up your process and reduce time [taken] for research, development and production. Delays should be avoided.” “The very long gestation period of developm...

Neelam Mathews Oct 5, 2012 The delay in production of India’s intermediate jet trainer (IJT) by government-owned defense manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has the Indian air force worried as these are to  replace the present ageing trainers Kirans Mk II retiring by 2015, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K.Browne  said in an exclusive interview. The IJT, a stage-II trainer is used for training before pilots advance to the final BAE Hawk Advanced jet trainers- 123 were ordered under two contracts- and another 20 are in the offing to replace the Kiran acrobatic team being by rookie pilots. India recently ordered 75 Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainers as its indigenous obsolescent, single piston-engine HPT-32 basic trainers were grounded. “The loss of 17 aircraft and 19 pilots had resulted in pilots losing confidence in the safety and performance of the aircraft,” a defense official said on condition of anonymity. HPT-32 trainers had a take-off spee...

http://issuu.com/ain_publications/docs/farnborough_airshow_news_07_12_12#download Apologies for this. Do click link above. reworking of Hawk jigs, problems establishing production of complex engine components and radar software for the Su-30 MKI, certification delays with the Shakti engine, changes in design standards for the LCA and engine delays for the HJT-36 IJT. Other Projects At the same time, HAL is developing its planned multirole transport aircraft and fifth-generation fighter jointly with Russia, while also looking to codesign and coproduce a 10-metric-ton-class medium-lift helicopter. However, it now seems likely that a private company will handle the latter program. Given delays in completing projects, HAL’s effective monopoly over state-backed programs is increasingly being questioned. For instance, some industry observers have suggested that the LUH program should be reassigned to one of India’s growing body of private aerospace co...