In a significant boost to India’s defense capabilities, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on September 9 signed a Rs 26,000 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the supply of 240 AL-31FP aero engines for the Su-30MKI fighter jets. The contract marks a crucial step in ensuring the long-term operational capability of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) frontline fighter aircraft, the Su-30MKI, which is pivotal to India’s defense preparedness.
These engines will be produced at HAL’s Koraput Division in Odisha that has experience in the manufacturing and maintenance of advanced military aircraft engines. HAL will be delivering 30 engines per year and the entire order is slated to be completed over the next eight years. The AL-31FP engines are specifically meant to power the Su-30MKI, a Russian-origin aircraft that forms the backbone of the IAF fighter fleet.
The contract also underlines the government’s thrust on indigenization in defense production. HAL would increase the indigenous content in the engines to 63% by the end of the program, with an average little in excess of 54% across the project operational tenure. This indigenization drive is part of the ‘Make in India’ policy of the government aimed at de-dependency from suppliers abroad and encouraging national defence manufacturing capability.
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Source: Moneycontrol
News Desk
