Sukhoi manufacturing plant can roll out fifth-generation fighter jet: HAL

[ashok321]

New Delhi: The manufacturing facility of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd producing Sukhoi fighter jets can be used to build the fifth-generation fighter aircraft if the government decides to go ahead with the proposed Indo-Russian joint venture, T. Suvarna Raju, the chief of the aerospace behemoth, has said.

Raju said the state-of-the-art facility in Nasik will not require any major investment to reconfigure it to produce the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). He said there was much in common between the FGFA and the Sukhoi 30MKI jet as both had structural similarities and the plant was well equipped to produce the new generation stealth fighter for which India and Russia have been in negotiations for nearly a decade.

“Definitely, it can be used for the FGFA. It will need a little bit of augmentation. We will not need major investment,” Raju, the chairman and managing director of HAL, told PTI. The facility at Nasik is set to fall idle after it delivers the last batch of 35 aircraft out of the total order of 222 to the Indian Air Force.

In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project but no concrete decision has yet been taken on it. Pitching for the FGFA project, Raju said it would be an opportunity for India to acquire high technology which has not been offered to it by any other country except Russia.

“I will not comment on the justification on expenditure on the project. But, as a country, if we are looking for fifth generation technology and if somebody has offered it to us, then definitely I would like to go for it regardless of the expenditure,” Raju said. There is a view in the defence establishment that India should not go for the project considering the possible cost which has been roughly estimated at around $25 billion (around Rs1.61 lakh crore).

The defence ministry is likely to soon take a call on a report submitted recently by a high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay $295 million (Rs1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called the ‘Perspective Multi-role Fighter’ in India.

However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. In February last year, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Raju said the Nasik plant may be converted to a maintenance facility for the Sukhoi fleet if the FGFA project does not take off. The delivery of the remaining Sukhoi jets is likely to be over by early 2020.

 

[maravan91]

They want to secure their job

 

[MagicMarker]

Rather than expect the IAF or GoI to invest in the FGFA, HAL should put their own money where the mouth is and take up partnership with Sukoi.

Funding for that can come from going public.

 

[DarX]

New Delhi: The manufacturing facility of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd producing Sukhoi fighter jets can be used to build the fifth-generation fighter aircraft if the government decides to go ahead with the proposed Indo-Russian joint venture, T. Suvarna Raju, the chief of the aerospace behemoth, has said.

Raju said the state-of-the-art facility in Nasik will not require any major investment to reconfigure it to produce the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). He said there was much in common between the FGFA and the Sukhoi 30MKI jet as both had structural similarities and the plant was well equipped to produce the new generation stealth fighter for which India and Russia have been in negotiations for nearly a decade.

“Definitely, it can be used for the FGFA. It will need a little bit of augmentation. We will not need major investment,” Raju, the chairman and managing director of HAL, told PTI. The facility at Nasik is set to fall idle after it delivers the last batch of 35 aircraft out of the total order of 222 to the Indian Air Force.

In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project but no concrete decision has yet been taken on it. Pitching for the FGFA project, Raju said it would be an opportunity for India to acquire high technology which has not been offered to it by any other country except Russia.

“I will not comment on the justification on expenditure on the project. But, as a country, if we are looking for fifth generation technology and if somebody has offered it to us, then definitely I would like to go for it regardless of the expenditure,” Raju said. There is a view in the defence establishment that India should not go for the project considering the possible cost which has been roughly estimated at around $25 billion (around Rs1.61 lakh crore).

The defence ministry is likely to soon take a call on a report submitted recently by a high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay $295 million (Rs1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called the ‘Perspective Multi-role Fighter’ in India.

However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. In February last year, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Raju said the Nasik plant may be converted to a maintenance facility for the Sukhoi fleet if the FGFA project does not take off. The delivery of the remaining Sukhoi jets is likely to be over by early 2020.

HAL can hardly keep up with the deliveries of the LCA Tejas, with only 5 jets delivered so far and the project seriously behind schedule. The IAF has also lost confidence in the Tejas because of this mismanagement, and now HAL wants the Indian govt and the IAF to trust them with a $25 billion project?

 

[MagicMarker]

HAL can hardly keep up with the deliveries of the LCA Tejas, with only 5 jets delivered so far and the project seriously behind schedule. The IAF has also lost confidence in the Tejas because of this mismanagement, and now HAL wants the Indian govt and the IAF to trust them with a $25 billion project?

Its not a matter of "trust". They are more trustworthy than ANY private player.

The real issue is about them becoming self reliant and not become a burden on the public. We need to put and end to "Too big to be allowed to Fail" syndrome.

From Air India, to Railways to Public sector banks or Ports, all are bleeding money and sucking money from tax payers.

The only people who get the bad press are the poor Farmers when they get a "farm waiver". Its about time such nonsense comes to an end.