New Delhi: In a major boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for Su-30MKI aircraft at a cost of over Rs 26,000 crore. The contract was signed by senior officials of MoD and HAL in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, in New Delhi on 9 September 2024.
These aero engines will be manufactured by the Koraput Division of HAL and are expected to meet the Indian Air Force’s need to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet, enhancing the country’s defence preparedness. HAL will supply 30 aero engines per year as per the contractual delivery schedule, with all 240 engines to be delivered over the next eight years.
During manufacturing, HAL plans to leverage support from the country’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, involving MSMEs as well as public and private industries. By the end of the delivery programme, HAL aims to increase the indigenisation content to up to 63%, achieving an average of over 54%. This will also enhance the indigenous content in the repair and overhaul tasks of the aero engines. /BI
