New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is better placed to partner with any foreign military plane maker to produce combat jets in India under the ambitious Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme, Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run aerospace behemoth, R Madhavan, said on Sunday.
The government is moving forward to procure 114 jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a whopping cost of USD 20 billion, billed as one of the world’s biggest military acquisition programmes in recent years.
It was initially indicated that the aircraft will be procured under the strategic partnership (SP) model that mandates a foreign manufacturer to join hands with an Indian company to manufacture major military platforms.
The top HAL executive also said the government should decide on the aircraft for the IAF under the MRFA project and it should be left to the manufacturer of the plane to decide on its Indian partner.
“With our infrastructure and experience, HAL is much better placed to join hands with a foreign entity to produce the aircraft. Definitely, we are looking at being the Indian entity for the project,” Madhavan told PTI in an interview.
Asked whether the mega project should be implemented under the strategic partnership model, the HAL chief only said it should be left to the businesses to find their own solution.
“Once a decision is taken on the aircraft, let the manufacturer decide on its Indian partner and let them quote (the price) together. It is a possibility,” Madhavan said.
“If the original equipment maker finds HAL to be comfortable to join hands with, let it come. if it finds somebody else, let them go there,” he added.
03/07/22 Manash Pratim Bhuyan/Print
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