Air Marshal Barbora suggests national technology plan for aeronautics

Bangalore: Air Marshal P.K. Barbora, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff, has suggested that a national technology plan for aeronautics be formulated to provide a framework for the development of the industry in India.
Delivering the Neelakantan Memorial Lecture at a national convention on aeronautical technologies organised by the Aeronautical Society of India here on Saturday, he said the plan would set the agenda for development of indigenous capability. Private and public sector companies should cooperate to export defence-related equipment.
Air Marshal Barbora said that though India made a commendable progress in aeronautics, “it has missed out on mid-level technologies.” “The progress in indigenisation of aircraft has been far from satisfactory.” While Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) makes parts of aircraft, Chinese companies produce the whole aircraft, he said.
Referring to the recent acquisition of a large number of aircraft by the National Aviation Company of India Ltd. (NACIL) from Boeing and Aerospace, Air Marshal Barbora said: “We could have used this large order as a lever to bargain for better terms for technology transfer as China does. Why cannot we do reverse engineering as some of our neighbours do?”
11/04/10 The Hindu

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Apr 2010