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FEATURE INDIA RTA

the SPV are yet to be received, work has experience in civilian programmes. NAL abilities and the NCAD effort will have to
begun on the NCAD programme by HAL under CSIR has manufactured and test run in parallel with these higher priority
and NAL teams. A statement released by flown the Hansa 3, a two seat all composite programmes.
India’s MoD in December last year stated aircraft and the unsuccessful 14 seat Based on the past history of
that “CSIR-NAL had launched a limited Saras. It is also working on the five seat programmes handled by HAL and NAL,
indigenisation effort for the development CNM5 aircraft with Mahindra Aerospace. it is more than likely that delays will
of some of the Line Replaceable units HAL was involved in license production of be the norm rather than the exception.
(LRus), such as, landing gear actuator, the British HS 748 Avro (1964-1984) and China’s first attempt at designing an
Engine Indication and Crew Alert System is currently involved in the development indigenous airliner in the ARJ21-700,
(EICAS) etc. for civil aircraft.” and production of the Multirole Transport received its type certificate from the Civil
HAL has also received responses from Aircraft (MTA) along with Russia’s united Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)
six global manufacturers to its December Aircraft Corporation-Transport Aircraft in December last year, six years after its
2013 Request for Information (RFI) for an (uAC-TA). maiden flight and more than 12 years
Integrated Propulsive System (IPS) for The MTA is a twin-engine military since initial design began. unless new
the NCAD programme. The RFI had been transport that will be able to carry 140 thinking and fresh ideas are brought in,
issued by HAL’s Bengaluru based Aero troops or 90 paratroopers. The objective the full development of a civilian 90-100
Engine Research & Design Center and of the MTA programme is similar to that seat airplane in India under the NCAD
was open to turbofan or turboprop engine of the NCAD programme in that it was programme, could take about 10-12 years
options being provided. Seven prototypes meant to help HAL move towards self- and will be a challenging and difficult
are expected to be built and the first reliance in the design and development process that will end up costing huge
prototype will take to the air only after of a medium military transport and also amounts of money to the Indian taxpayer.
2022. The nascent state of India’s aviation create the production capability for this
sector and its private industry means class of aircraft.
that the government will need to invest As a result of the primarily military TOP LEFT: It has been over
significant sums of money to establish orientation of HAL and NAL, it is very likely a decade since the roll-
and create an entire eco-system for the that the NCAD programme will involve a out of what turned out to
design, manufacture, certification and steep learning curve during its design and be unsuccessful effort to
maintenance of a civilian airplane. The development cycle and certification and develop a 14 seat passenger
programme does present opportunity for production phase. There also needs to be aircraft in the Saras by NAL
foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers a clear direction from the Government on TOP RIGHT: Delays in the
(OEM’s) and as a result is likely to attract the direction it expects the programme to joint Indo-Russia MTA
significant interest from companies in the take as it will be providing all the funding. programme could affect
uSA and Europe. HAL is already managing a large number plans for using some
Both the major entities in the NCAD of military programmes that will severely technologies from the
programme, HAL & NAL have limited test its managerial, design and production programme for the NCAD
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