Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Thursday signed a contract worth Rs 2,400 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited for the manufacture and supply of 20 types of systems for the LCA Tejas Mk1A programme. It is a five-year contract spanning from 2023 to 2028 and it is also the biggest ever order received by Bharat Electronics for Avionic Systems. The order includes the supply of critical avionics Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), flight control computers and night flying LRUs, said the Aerospace company HAL. Tejas fighter planes will be the first homegrown fighter and it is slated to be equipped with indigenous flight control computers and air data computers. Several types of equipment will be supplied by BEL for the systems which have been designed and developed by various labs of DRDO and Aeronautical Development Agency, Bengaluru.
Key Points:
1. “The order spanning five years from 2023 to 2028 involves the supply of critical avionic Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) related to Digital Flight Control Computers, Air Data Computers, Weapon Computers, LRUs related to Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Head-Up Display. The LRUs have been indigenously designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), DRDO Labs, Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Combat Aircraft Systems Development and Integration Centre (CASDIC) and Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO),” BEL stated.
2. The five-year-long contract is the biggest order that HAL has placed with an Indian company and the intent was to boost the PM's Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign, HAL told news agency PTI.
3." LCA Tejas programme is an excellent example of synergies between Indian Defence establishments such as HAL, DRDO & BEL," HAL CMD R Madhavan was quoted as saying by PTI. He also said that Rs 2,400 crore contract with BEL is a shot-in-the-arm for Make in India activity.
4. BEL CMD Anandi Ramalingam also said that they are pleased to receive HAL's order for the prestigious LCA Tejas and looks forward to continuing a strong partnership with HAL. The BEL officials have also said that this is the biggest Avionic Systems order they have received from HAL.
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5. The Bengaluru and Panchkula (Haryana) divisions of BEL will be the two units working on the order which will supply the systems for 83 Tejas MK1A fighter aircraft and all the contracted items will be delivered by BEL to HAL in a ready-to-board condition, the BEL officials said.
