The Hindu Business Line : `Developing own fighter aircraft will cut costs'

THE cost of a single Mirage 2000 aircraft is Rs 200 crore and if the country imported 100 of these outright the cost would be Rs 20,000 crore. If you add the maintenance of these aircraft over a 20-year period, it would cost another Rs 20,000 crore.

In short, the country would be spending Rs 40,000 crore for a fleet of 100 Mirages. Thus, from both strategic and economic considerations, there is a compelling reason to develop our own fighter aircraft and reduce our dependence on foreign countries to the maximum extent possible.

Stating this, Dr Kota Harinarayana, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, and till recently the Project Director of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), said currently the Indian Air Force deployed a variety of fighter aircraft like the MIGs, Mirages, Jaguar, Sukhoi etc, which are imported or manufactured under licence. In case of outright purchase, we are totally dependent for supply of spares and technical support. Thus, the country's fighting abilities could be jeopardised at times.

In contrast, as per estimates made by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the LCA would cost less than Rs 100 crore each, Dr Harinarayana said in his special lecture delivered in Tenali after receiving the Dr Y. Nayudamma memorial award for 2001 from the Tamil Nadu Governor, Mr P.S. Ramamohan Rao, on Sunday.

The LCA, initiated in 1985 is one of the ambitious initiatives of the Government to indigenously develop our own fighter aircraft. After several ups and downs, two of the LCA prototypes are now flying and the third prototype is getting ready for flight. More than 40 flights have been completed, he said.

With four more prototypes under various stages of manufacture, the first production aircraft will roll out of HAL by year 2006. "We believe there is a market for about 500 such aircraft in India and outside," Dr Harinarayana said.

Referring to comments in some quarters that the LCA will become outdated by the time it enters into service, Dr Harinarayana said it was far from the truth. With advanced technologies, highest percentage of composites, and most advanced digital flight control system and avionics, it would remain contemporary for another three decades, he asserted.

Based on the confidence generated through the LCA programme, the spin-offs are finding application in the development of SARAS aircraft of the National Aerospace Laboratories and the 100-seater transport aircraft. Even Indian companies, which worked for LCA are now able to take up projects for manufacturing precision parts and structural components for companies from US and Europe, Dr Harinarayana said.

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