Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian public sector aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world. HAL began aircraft manufacturing as early as 1942 with licensed production of Harlow PC-5, Curtiss P-36 Hawk and Vultee A-31 Vengeance for the Indian Air Force. HAL currently has 11 dedicated Research and development (R&D) centres and 21 manufacturing divisions under 4 production units spread across India. HAL is managed by a board of directors appointed by the President of India through the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. HAL is currently involved in designing and manufacturing of fighter jets, helicopters, jet engine and marine gas turbine engine, avionics, software development, spares supply, overhauling and upgrading of Indian military aircraft.
The HAL HF-24 Marut fighter-bomber was the first indigenous fighter aircraft made in India.
History
HAL was established as Hindustan Aircraft Limited in Bangalore on 23 December 1940 by Walchand Hirachand in association with the then Kingdom of Mysore. Walchand Hirachand became chairman of the company. The company's office was opened at a bungalow called "Eventide" on Domlur Road.
The organisation and equipment for the factory at Bangalore was set up by William D. Pawley of the Intercontinental Aircraft Corporation of New York. Pawley obtained a large number of machine-tools and equipment from the United States.
The Indian Government bought a one-third stake in the company and by April 1941 by investing ₹25 lakh as it believed this to be a strategic imperative. The decision by the government was primarily motivated to boost British military hardware supplies in Asia to counter the increasing threat posed by Imperial Japan during Second World War. The Kingdom of Mysore supplied two directors, Air Marshal John Higgins was resident director. The first aircraft built was a Harlow PC-5 On 2 April 1942, the government announced that the company had been nationalised when it had bought out the stakes of Seth Walchand Hirachand and other promoters so that it could act freely. The Mysore Kingdom refused to sell its stake in the company but yielded the management control over to the British Indian Government.
In 1943 the Bangalore factory was handed over to the United States Army Air Forces but still using Hindustan Aircraft management. The factory expanded rapidly and became the centre for major overhaul and repair of American aircraft and was known as the 84th Air Depot. The first aircraft to be overhauled was a Consolidated PBY Catalina followed by every type of aircraft operated in India and Burma. When returned to Indian control two years later the factory had become one of the largest overhaul and repair organisations in the East. In the post war reorganisation the company built railway carriages as an interim activity.
After India gained independence in 1947, the management of the company was passed over to the Government of India.
The total number of broad- gauge coaches manufactured by the Hindustan Aircraft Limited during the year 1954 is 158.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was formed on 1 October 1964 (the Registrar of Companies has a registration date of 16 August 1963) when Hindustan Aircraft Limited joined the consortium formed in June by the IAF Aircraft Manufacturing Depot, Kanpur (at the time manufacturing HS748 under licence) and the group recently set up to manufacture MiG-21 under licence, with its new factories planned in Koraput, Nasik and Hyderabad. Though HAL was not used actively for developing newer models of fighter jets, except for the HF-24 Marut, the company has played a crucial role in modernisation of the Indian Air Force. In 1957 company started manufacturing Bristol Siddeley Orpheus jet engines under licence at new factory located in Bangalore.
During the 1980s, HAL's operations saw a rapid increase which resulted in the development of new indigenous aircraft such as the HAL Tejas and HAL Dhruv. HAL also developed an advanced version of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, known as MiG-21 Bison, which increased its life-span by more than 20 years. HAL has also obtained several multimillion-dollar contracts from leading international aerospace firms such as Airbus, Boeing and Honeywell to manufacture aircraft spare parts and engines.
By 2012, HAL was reportedly bogged down in the details of production and has been slipping on its schedules. On 1 April 2015, HAL reconstituted its Board with TS Raju as CMD, S Subrahmanyan as Director (Operations), VM Chamola as Director (HR), CA Ramana Rao as Director (Finance) and D K Venkatesh as Director (Engineering & R&D). There are two government nominees in the board and six independent directors.
In March 2017, HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju announced that the company had finalised plans for an indigenisation drive. The company plans to produce nearly 1, 000 military helicopters, including Kamov 226, LCH (Light Combat Helicopter) ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter), and over 100 planes over the next 10 years. HAL will manufacture the Kamov 226T helicopter under a joint venture agreement with Russian defence manufacturers. The Kamov 226T will replace the country's fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Over the next 5 years, HAL will carry out major upgrade of almost the entire fighter fleet of Indian Air Force including Su-30MKI, Jaguars, Mirage and Hawk jets to make them "more lethal". The company will also deliver 123 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to the IAF from 2018 to 2019, at a rate of 16 jets per year. LCH production will now take place in a newly built Light Combat Helicopter Production Hangar at Helicopter Division in HAL Complex.
In view of Make in India policy and to increase the share of defence exports to achieve the target of $5 billion by 2025, HAL is planning to setup logistic bases in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam with priority target for Southeast Asia, West Asia and North African markets. It would not only help to promote HAL products but also act as service centre for Soviet/Russian origin equipment.
Operations
One of the largest aerospace companies in Asia, HAL has annual turnover of over 3 billion. More than 40% of HAL's revenues come from international deals to manufacture aircraft engines, spare parts, and other aircraft materials. A partial list of major operations undertaken by HAL includes the following:
International agreements
US$1 billion contract to manufacture aircraft parts for Boeing.
120 RD-33MK turbofan engines to be manufactured for MiG-29K by HAL for US$250 million.
Contract to manufacture 1,000 Honeywell TPE331 aircraft engines for Honeywell worth US$200,000 each (estimates put total value of deal at US$200 million).
US$120 million deal to manufacture Dornier 228 for RUAG of Switzerland.
Manufacture of aircraft parts for Airbus SAS worth US$150 million.
US$100 million contract to export composite materials to Israel Aerospace Industries.
US$65 million joint-research facility with Honeywell and planned production of Honeywell TPE331 engines.
US$50.7 million contract to supply Advanced Light Helicopter to Ecuadorian Air Force. HAL will also open a maintenance base in the country.
US$30 million contract to supply avionics for Malaysian Su-30MKM.
US$20 million contract to supply ambulance version of HAL Dhruv to Peru.
Contract of 3 HAL Dhruv helicopters for Turkey worth US$20 million.
US$10 million order from Namibia for HAL Chetak and Cheetah helicopters.
Supply of HAL Dhruv helicopters to Mauritius' National Police in a deal worth US$7 million.
Unmanned helicopter development project with Israel Aerospace Industries.
US$15 million contract for supplying steel and nickel alloy forgings to GE Aviation for its global military and commercial engine programmes.
Domestic agreements
221 Sukhoi Su-30MKI being manufactured at HAL's facilities in Nasik, Koraput and Bangalore. The total contract, which also involves Russia's Sukhoi Aerospace, is worth 3.2 billion.
200 HAL Light Combat Helicopters for the Indian Air Force and 500 HAL Dhruv helicopters worth US$5.83 billion.
US$900 million aerospace hub in Shamshabad, Telangana.
US$57 million upgrade of SEPECAT Jaguar fleet of the Indian Air Force.
US$55 million helicopter simulator training facility in Bangalore in collaboration with Canada's CAE.
64 MiG-29s to be upgraded by HAL and Russia's MiG Corporation in a programme worth US$960 million.
Licensed production of 82 BAE Hawk 132.
Indigenous products
Over the years, HAL has designed and developed several platforms like the HF-24 Marut, the Dhruv, the LUH, and the LCH. HAL also manufactures indigenous products with technology transferred from the DRDO, in association with Bharat Electronics for its avionics and Indian Ordnance Factories for the on-board weapons systems and ammunition.
HAL supplies ISRO, the integrated L-40 stages for GSLV Mk II, propellant tanks, feed lines of PSLV, GSLV MKII and GSLV MKIII launch vehicles and structures of various satellites.
Agricultural aircraft
HA-31 Basant
Fighter aircraft
HAL HF-24 Marut — (retired) Mk.1 and Mk.1T (200+ built)
HAL HF-73 — (cancelled)
HAL Tejas — Mk.1 (40 in service), Mk.1A (83 on order).
Sukhoi/HAL FGFA — (cancelled)
HAL Tejas MK2 — 4.5+ generation Medium weight fighter (under development) 2023 first flight expected.
HAL AMCA — Mk.1> 5th generation stealth fighter (under development), Mk.2> 5.5th generation stealth fighter(it will operate in CATS {combat air teaming system}, a UCAV in the swarm will be equipped with a direct energy weapon).
HAL TEDBF — Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter is 4.5+ generation fighter for Indian Navy's aircraft carriers (under development)
Trainer aircraft
HT-2 — First company design to enter production.
HAL-26 Pushpak — Basic trainer, based on Aeronca Chief
HJT-16 Kiran — Mk1, Mk1A and Mk2 - Turbojet trainers scheduled to be replaced with HJT-36 Sitara.
HPT-32 Deepak — Basic trainer in service for more than three decades.
HTT-34 — Turboprop version of HPT-32 Deepak
HTT-35 (proposal only) — Proposed replacement for HPT-32 basic trainer in the early 1990s; not pursued
HJT-36 Sitara — Intermediate jet trainer (under -development)
HJT 39 / CAT — Advanced jet trainer (cancelled)
HTT-40 — Basic trainer (in production) first prototype flew its first flight on 31 May 2016. (106 ordered)
HLFT-42- Proposed lead fighter trainer.
Passenger, transport and utility aircraft
Saras — of 14-19 seater capacity multi-purpose civilian light transport aircraft jointly developed with NAL.
Indian Regional Jet (IRJ) — (under development) of 70-100 seater capacity regional airliner to be jointly developed with NAL.
Helicopters
Dhruv — (in production) Advanced light helicopter (350+ built)
Rudra — (in production) Armed and reconnaissance version of Dhruv (90+ built)
Prachand — (in production) Light attack helicopter (10+ built)
Light Utility Helicopter — (in limited series production) Light utility helicopter
Indian Multi-role Helicopter — (under development) medium multi-role helicopter
Observation and reconnaissance aircraft
HAOP-27 Krishak — Based on HAL-26 Pushpak
Unmanned aerial vehicles
PTA Lakshya - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
PTA Lakshya 2 - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TARGET DRONE)
Nishant - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Rustom - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
TAPAS - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MALE)
NRUAV
HAL Combat Air Teaming System (CATS)
CATS Mothership for Air teaming Exploitation (MAX) - based on Tejas Mark 1A
CATS Warrior
CATS Air Launched Flexible Assets (ALFA) - Unmanned carrier and launcher of weaponized swarm drone ALPHA-S.
CATS Hunter - Modular multi-purpose weapon carrying system
CATS Infinity - High altitude solar powered atmospheric satellite
Gliders
G-1 — HAL's first original design, dating from 1941. Only one was built.
RG-1 Rohini
Ardhra — training glider
Engines
Cryogenic Rocket Engine
CE-7.5 — cryogenic rocket engine
CE-20 — cryogenic rocket engine
Turbojet Engine
PTAE-7 — For indigenously designed Lakshya PTA
Turbofan Engine
GTX-35VS Kaveri — a turbofan engine can be used in HAL-developed Tejas and AMCA, co-developed with GTRE of (DRDO) and Safran Aircraft Engines (under development or initial stage)
HTFE-25 — a turbofan engine can be used in single engine trainer jets, business jets and UAVs weighing up to 5 tonnes and in twin engine configuration for same weighing up to 9 tonnes (under development)
GTSU-110 — for starting main engine GE404 or Kaveri of LCA Tejas (under development)
Turboshaft Engine
Shakti — a turboshaft engine for HAL Dhruv Helicopter, co-developed with Safran Helicopter Engines based on Safran Ardiden 1
HTSE-1200 — a turboshaft engine can be used as engine alternatives for the HAL-developed LUH, Dhruv, Rudra and LCH helicopters (under development)
Licensed production
Fighter aircraft
Vampire — first combat jet manufactured by HAL, 250+ FB.52, 60 T.55 models
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 — FL, M, Bis and Bison upgrades variants 660 built by HAL
Folland Gnat
HAL Ajeet — improved version of the Folland Gnat , 89 built by HAL
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 — M variant
SEPECAT Jaguar — IS, IB and IM variants
Sukhoi Su-30MKI — a derivative of the Sukhoi Su-30
Trainer aircraft
Harlow PC-5 — first aircraft assembled by HAL
Percival Prentice — 66 built by HAL
BAE Hawk Mk 132 — scheduled production run of 42 aircraft
Passenger, transport and utility aircraft
HS 748 Avro — modified for military usage, includes Series 2M variant with large freight door
Dornier 228 — 117 built + fuselage, wings and tail unit for production of the upgraded Dornier 228 NG variant
Helicopters
Aerospatiale SA 315B Lama — HAL Cheetah, Lancer, Cheetal Variants
Aerospatiale SA 316B Alouette III — HAL Chetak, Chetan Variants
Engines
Turbofan Engines
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk 811 — Engine for SEPECAT Jaguar, produced under licence
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour Mk 871 — Engine for BAE Hawk Mk 132, produced under licence
Garrett TPE331-5 — Engine for Dornier 228, produced under licence
Saturn AL-31FP — Engine for Sukhoi Su-30MKI, produced under licence
Klimov RD-33MK — Engine for Mikoyan MiG-29, produced under licence
Turboshaft Engine
Turbomeca TM 333 — Engine for HAL Dhruv Helicopter, produced under licence
Notable people
Kota Harinarayana (b. 1943), president of the Aeronautical Society of India
Kurt Tank (1898–1983), German aeronautical engineer, designed Hindustan Marut fighter-bomber
Roddam Narasimha (1933–2020), aerospace scientist and fluid dynamicist
Vishnu Madav Ghatage (1908–1991), one of the pioneers of Indian aeronautics
See also
HAL Aerospace Museum
Pragati Aerospace Museum
Defence Research and Development Organisation
HAL Airport
Indian Space Research Organisation
Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC
National Aerospace Laboratories
Mahindra Aerospace
Tata Advanced Systems
Aeronautical Development Agency
References
External links
Ready to roll: HAL offers its light combat helicopter to Indian Air Force
Aircraft manufacturers of India
Defence companies of India
Aerospace companies of India
Aircraft engine manufacturers of India
Gas turbine manufacturers
Indian Air Force
Science and technology in Karnataka
Manufacturing companies based in Bangalore
Government-owned companies of India
Walchand Group
Companies nationalised by the Government of India
Technology companies established in 1940
Indian companies established in 1940
Unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers
Science and technology in Bangalore
Indian brands
Engine manufacturers of India
Companies listed on the National Stock Exchange of India
Companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange
Indian companies established in 1963
Indian companies established in 1964