The Indian aircraft manufacturer, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), delivered the first AL-31FP Aero Engine to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Koraput on September 30.
On September 9, 2024, HAL signed a contract for 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for Su-30MKI aircraft, and the engines should arrive within eight years.
The first engine was expected to be delivered within two weeks of the contract being signed, according to Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary of Defence Production. He stated that the Koraput Division has developed the necessary infrastructure to compete with global OEMs and has mastered cutting-edge aero engine manufacturing technologies.
According to Dr. D K Sunil, the Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, the organization is dedicated to the timely dispatch of 240 engines. He stated that the Koraput Division will proactively procure material and work towards capacity enhancement in order to satisfy the IAF’s expectations.
He further stated, “During this entire engine manufacturing process, we aim to engage Indian industries from the present level of work share from 40% to more than 50% in the next 2-3 years and help in employment generation.”
According to AVM Harisankar, the Koraput Division has provided support to the IAF’s MiG-21, MiG-29, and Su-30MKI fleets.
HAL established the Sukhoi Engine Division, Koraput, a cutting-edge division that is responsible for the production of engines for the Su-30MKI aircraft, from the raw material stage to the completed engine.
