The first set of wing assemblies for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, manufactured by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), was formally handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at an event in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, the Ministry of Defence said in an official statement.
The wing assemblies were received by M Abdul Salam, General Manager of HAL’s LCA Tejas Division, from L&T’s Precision Manufacturing and Systems Complex. The ceremony was attended virtually by Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), who commended both HAL and L&T for their contribution to India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem.
In his address, Kumar praised HAL for leading collaborative efforts with private industry partners and nurturing them to build enhanced capabilities. He expressed confidence in meeting the production targets for the LCA Tejas programme and emphasised the need to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director DK Sunil, who was present at the event, described the handover as a milestone achieved through years of collaborative effort. “HAL is actively working with suppliers, including large firms and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to drive Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the aerospace and defence sector. A parallel aircraft structural assembly line has now been established in the private sector, significantly boosting the capacity of the LCA Tejas programme,” he said.
Arun Ramchandani, Senior Vice President and Head of L&T’s Precision Engineering and Systems, said the company plans to supply four wing sets annually, with an aim to scale up production to 12 sets per year through the adoption of advanced assembly processes and automation.
So far, the LCA Tejas Division has received various structural modules from Indian companies, including air intake assemblies from Lakshmi Machine Works, rear fuselage from Alpha Tocol, loom assemblies from Amphenol, fin and rudder assemblies from Tata Advanced Systems, centre fuselage from VEM Technologies, and now the wing assemblies from L&T.
In a parallel development, on July 15, India received the second GE-404 engine from the United States for the LCA Mk1A fighter jet programme. The engine was delivered to HAL and 12 more are expected by the end of the current financial year. These engines will be fitted into the LCA Mk1A aircraft.
The Indian Air Force has already placed an order for 83 LCA Mk1A fighter jets. A proposal to procure an additional 97 aircraft is currently in an advanced stage following clearance from the Ministry of Defence.
(ANI)
