Continuing with its rush on the financial year closing day, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed two contracts on Friday, including modernisation of the naval aircraft yards at Goa and Kochi worth ₹494 crore.
The Ministry, in an official statement said, it had inked a deal with the Visakhapatnam-based Ultra Dimensions Pvt Ltd for modernisation of the naval aircraft yards at a cost of about ₹470 crore. These yards undertake servicing as well as repair of naval aircraft, aero engines, rotables and test equipment
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“Induction of the latest aircraft in the Indian Navy requires modernisation of the existing maintenance and repair facilities at the Naval Aircraft Yard to bridge the technological and capability gap, to meet the present and future aviation maintenance challenges. The modernisation includes repair facilities with automated machinery and composite repair bays,” said the MoD. The government believes that the project under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ will generate employment of more than 1.8 lakh man-days over three years.
The modernisation will augment the operational readiness of naval aviation platforms and reduce dependence on external agencies and foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for repairs. Additionally, the MoD has engaged Mecon Ltd, Ranchi, as a Project Monitoring Consultant, at a cost of ₹24 crore.