HAL to produce 24 LCA MK1A aircraft per year

New Delhi: In a significant step to speed up the delivery of the indigenously manufactured Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, the third LCA production line has been inaugurated by the Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane in Nashik.

The Chief Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) CB Ananthakrishnan said, "The new production line will enable the company to enhance LCA MK1A production capacity from 16 to 24 aircraft per year." 

The Defence Secretary also handed over the 100th Sukhoi-30 MKI ROH (Repair and Overhaul) aircraft to the Indian Air Force.

The Signal Out Certificate (SOC) of the 100th ROH aircraft was handed over by Saket Chaturvedi, CEO (MiG Complex), to Air Vice Marshal Sarin, VSM in the presence of HAL CMD Ananthakrishnan and other senior officials.

Speaking about the ROH, Ananthakrishnan said, "HAL's Nashik Division has achieved peak overhaul capacity of 20 Su-30 aircraft per year despite having supply chain issues in current geopolitical situations."

In a major step towards Aatm-nirbharta in Defence manufacturing, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in 2021 had approved procurement of 83 indigenous advanced Tejas Mk1A versions of the aircraft from HAL. The 83 LCA Tejas will be in addition to 40 Tejas aircraft already ordered with HAL in initial configurations.

HAL has already set up two LCA manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru. It plans to reduce the dependency on original equipment manufacturers (OEM) by indigenising the majority of components required for ROH within the next 3-5 years, HAL said in its statement.

(Defence Watch– India's Defence Business News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)