By Staff Correspondent
India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has entered into a substantial INR 458.87 crore contract with the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to procure two state-of-the-art Dornier aircraft. The deal, which includes an associated Engineering Support package, has been secured under the Buy (Indian) category in line with India’s self-reliance initiative ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
The Dornier aircraft will be equipped with advanced systems like a glass cockpit, maritime patrol radar, electro-optic infrared device, and a mission management system, are expected to further enhance the Indian Coast Guard’s (ICG) aerial surveillance capabilities over their maritime areas of responsibility (AOR).
It may be pertinent to note that the Dornier aircraft is produced indigenously at HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division in Kanpur, offering a much-needed boost to the nation’s objective of self-reliance in defence manufacturing. This aligns with the central government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative to promote and strengthen domestic production. The contract symbolises a notable stride in India’s journey towards a self-reliant defence sector.
