Big boost to Made in India in the defense sector, Defense Ministry signed a big deal with HAL for Sukhoi engine

The country took another step towards self-sufficiency in the defense sector. On Monday, the Defence Ministry signed a Rs 26,000 crore agreement with the public sector aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the purchase of 240 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft engines. HAL's Koraput Division will manufacture the aero engine. This will assist the Air Force in maintaining the operational capability of its Sukhoi-30 fleet.

Senior officials from the ministry and HAL signed the contract in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary. Under the terms of the contract, HAL will supply 30 aero engines per year. According to the Defence Ministry, the supply of all 240 engines will be completed in the next eight years. The ministry said- 'By the end of the supply program, HAL will increase the indigenization content to 63 percent, taking its average to more than 54 percent.

This will also help in increasing the indigenous content in the repair work of aero engines.' This deal for engines has come amid concerns over the reduction in the squadrons of fighter aircraft of the Air Force and the delay in the supply of Tejas aircraft by HAL. The number of squadrons of fighter aircraft of the Air Force has come down to about 30 while their officially approved number is at least 42.