Bangalore: After more than 20 years, and an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,000 crore or more, India's ambition to have its own civilian transport aircraft is nowhere near completion and has morphed into a military version.
The plan for a multi-purpose civil aviation aircraft began in 1991 as a collaboration with Russia, but financial trouble, post the break-up of Soviet Union, led the Russians to drop out early in the project.
Amidst the clamour for a national policy for a civil aircraft development with the greater involvement of private industry in India, Saras, has now quietly undergone a change in its status and is being pursued to develop as a military aircraft.
The change of status of Saras to a military transport aircraft becomes clear from the response to an RTI application filed by Business Standard seeking information on the current status of the Saras.
ccording to the response from the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) to the RTI, it has forwarded a draft "certificate of design" documents for avionics system, flight control system, hydraulics and landing gear among other systems to CEMILAC or the Center for Military Airworthiness and Certification. At the same time, clearance has been sought from the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) for some of the systems.
"This means it is definitely now aimed at securing certification for military use before approaching the DGCA for a certification for civilian use," said an aerospace expert.
28/10/13 Praveen Bose/Business Standard
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
The plan for a multi-purpose civil aviation aircraft began in 1991 as a collaboration with Russia, but financial trouble, post the break-up of Soviet Union, led the Russians to drop out early in the project.
Amidst the clamour for a national policy for a civil aircraft development with the greater involvement of private industry in India, Saras, has now quietly undergone a change in its status and is being pursued to develop as a military aircraft.
The change of status of Saras to a military transport aircraft becomes clear from the response to an RTI application filed by Business Standard seeking information on the current status of the Saras.
ccording to the response from the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) to the RTI, it has forwarded a draft "certificate of design" documents for avionics system, flight control system, hydraulics and landing gear among other systems to CEMILAC or the Center for Military Airworthiness and Certification. At the same time, clearance has been sought from the Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) for some of the systems.
"This means it is definitely now aimed at securing certification for military use before approaching the DGCA for a certification for civilian use," said an aerospace expert.
28/10/13 Praveen Bose/Business Standard
