HAL’s Sukhoi plant to be ready by Dec end

Huma Siddiqui

New Delhi, Dec 9: The government is all set to create facilities for the serial indigenous production of 140 Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft. The multi-role fighter jet will be built by Hindustan Aeronautics at its Sukhoi manufacturing facilities in Nasik, which is expected to be ready by the month-end.

According to sources, the Russian company, Irkutsk Aviation Production Association (IAPO), will supply the machinery and instrument systems to the Nasik plant. As the project is of high priority nature, all the parties - Rosoboronexport, the Irkutsk-based IAPO, and HAL - are anxious to meet their commitments.

During his October 00 visit to the Capital, Russian President Vladmir Putin had signed a $3-billion contract for manufacturing 140 SU-30s locally. This pact was part of the so-called “package deal” which also involved the T-90s and Admiral Gorshkov purchase deals.

Rosoboronexport, the sole Russian state intermediary, is directly under Presidential supervision, signed the deal on behalf of Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Siberian IAPO.

As per the contract signed last December in Moscow, New Delhi will now get a “deep” license which provides for manufacturing 140 SU-30s and associated Al-31 FP TVC engines in the country. These fighter jets will be manufactured locally for 17 years without a right to reexport.

An attractive aspect of the deal is the sophisticated A1-31 PF engines, being manufactured by the IAPO in Irkutsk, can even be used for the country’s light combat aircraft project.

HAL chairman Nalini Ranjan Mohanty, who is also the chief of the Sukhoi programme, said HAL in January 01 had signed a technical collaboration pact with Sukhoi Design Bureau for setting up a dedicated Sukhoi production line at HAL’s aircraft design center at Nasik.

Majority of the SU-30s’ components like the AI-31PF engine, a range of avionics and parts of the fuselage would be imported from Sukhoi’s manufacturing facilities at Irkutsk in Siberia. Under the agreement, the entire production line is expected to be ready by this month-end, at a cost of $200 million.

HAL intends to produce 16 SU-30s annually, beginning March, said the HAL chief. He also said the Indian-built SU-30s will cost only about $22.5 million a unit against the current import price of about $37.5 million.

However, some key parts of the avionics suites for SU-30s will be manufactured by Sextant Avionique, a subsidiary of the Thales group, and Sagem SA of France, said a senior manager with HAL.