BEML, Italian co to build trainer plane

Defence PSU BEML Ltd said it had signed an MoU with Italy's Alenia Aeronautica SpA to explore developing a new, modern basic trainer aircraft for the Armed Forces. “BEML and Alenia will pursue a mutual collaboration for designing, manufacturing and selling a new primary/basic training aircraft on a new generation screener. The initiative will help the Ministry of Defence in finding a reliable source for its requirements of Basic Trainer Aircraft and also a befitting replacement for the existing HPT-32 Deepak trainer aircraft,” BEML said in a release. Mr V.R.S. Natarajan, BEML's Chairman and Managing Director, and Mr Alessandro Franzoni, CEO of Alenia, signed the MoU during the ongoing Paris air show. Alenia is a global player in designing, building and integrating support complex systems for commercial and defence markets. BEML, which predominantly makes earth moving equipment and metro rail coaches, recently launched an aerospace division. At the February air show in Bangalore, Mr Natarajan said BEML wanted to build small planes and helicopters had acquired land at the State-promoted aerospace SEZ near Devanahalli. It was not competing with big brother HAL, he had clarified.