HAL to design indigenous medium transport aircraft

TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) is already collaborating for the manufacturing of C-295M aircraft in India with Airbus Defence and Space.

This is a significant transition towards greater involvement of the Indian private sector in defence and aerospace projects.

However the C295 M is only a Light Medium Transport Aircraft and will be first replacing all the 56 Avros of the IAF and later on most likely replace the existing 9 squadrons of i.e. 108 AN32 aircrafts and may be adding another three squadrons.

Now IAF needs another 9 Squadrons in 20 -25 ton cargo carrying capacity, which is a Medium Transport Aircraft.

One course of action could have been purchasing / licence manufacturing of C130 Hercules or may be the Brazilian Transport Aircraft in this category ie C390.

However Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the state-owned company is embarking on the development of a fully indigenous Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA). HAL has been manufacturing all the fighter jets, helicopters and even a light Transport Aircraft Dornier 228. The next light Transport Aircraft being flight tested is the Saras Mk2.

Thus HAL is rightly focusing on the development of an indigenous Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), underscoring its commitment to India’s technological independence and self-sufficiency in defence.

In fact apart from the IAF, this Medium Transport Aircraft may even enter the civil aviation sector in large numbers to provide much needed air connectivity to our tier 2 and 3 cities.