The Hindu Business Line : HAL, Russia drawing up plans for aircraft project

HINDUSTAN Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and its Russian counterparts have begun to work out the modified proposals for the multi-role transport aircraft (MRTA) project that they will jointly design and produce.

They had recently agreed to begin with a cargo version for their respective air forces and go in for a passenger aircraft subsequently.

About 145 planes will be produced initially — 45 for the IAF and the rest for the Russian forces. The two governments will equally foot the bill.

As the cargo version would cost less than the 100-seater civilian transport plane that was considered earlier, the revised cost estimate was being made, and it might work out 20 per cent lower than a passenger version, HAL sources told Business Line. The 100-seater transport project that was considered in the 2001 agreement was estimated at $300-350 million (Rs 1,500-1,750 crore).

The delay over the project, they said, was because of not having Russia's exact requirement until now.

The joint steering committee also met during the Aero India show here last week.

The detailed project report that would be submitted to the Ministry of Defence for approval may take a couple of months. The first aircraft would be out six-seven years from the approval of the project.

A design that can also go into the making of the civilian transport plane version would be used. On the Navy's request, a naval version of the cargo aircraft has also been added to the project.

The HAL Chairman, Mr N.R. Mohanty, announced during the recent Aero India show that the two sides had opted to start their MRTA project with a rugged cargo version as market surveys did not show prospects for a 100-seater civilian aircraft in the near term. However, the civilian version would be taken up under more favourable market conditions, he said.

On the Indian side, HAL will take up both designing at its Bangalore centre and manufacture of the aircraft at the Kanpur facility. For Russia, Ilyushin Design Bureau will design the aircraft that will be produced by Irkut Corporation.

Their defence export arm Rosoboronexport, will co-ordinate on the side of component supplies.

HAL's experience of having designed the LCA (light combat aircraft) and the IJT (intermediate jet trainer) will come in handy. If the IJT has been produced in a record time of over three years, the LCA project has thrown up a lot of design aids. However, 25 engineers from HAL will be leaving soon for Russia for training there further.

HAL also plans to outsource low-end technology products for the project from the private sector. Nearly 60 industries worked on the LCA programme. The two partners will be free to choose their own engine and avionics.

For the civilian 100-seater version, HAL and the Russian partners would also explore markets in South-East Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The mid-size aircraft scene is thick with competition among global majors Boeing, Airbus, Brazil's Embraer and the Canadian Bombardier.

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