The Defence Secretary opens the HAL design and test facility

At HAL’s Aero Engine Research and Development Centre (AERDC) in Bengaluru, a new design and test facility was opened on Friday by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. Giridhar Aramane, who was speaking at the event, said, “The manufacturing sector is our nation’s future and will be for the next several decades.” HAL should concentrate on being proficient with various aircraft kinds’ technology. Consider the future as the very concept of combat is evolving.

Relying on the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles in combat, he pushed for HAL to work with private enterprises to create new platforms. “I want HAL to rank among the top ten companies in the world. It is the largest defense public sector unit in India,” Aramane said.

The Hindustan Turbo Fan Engine (HTFE) of 25 kN thrust, powers trainers, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), twin-engine small fighter aircraft, or regional jets, and the Hindustan Turbo Shaft Engine (HTSE) of 1200 kN thrust, which powers light and medium weight helicopters (3.5 to 6.5 tonnes in single or twin-engine configuration) are two of the new engines that the AERDC is currently designing and developing. According to an official release, the new, state-of-the-art facility houses special machines, sophisticated setups that make use of computational tools, an in-house fabrication facility, two test beds for testing HTFE-25, one testbed for testing HTSE-1200, and an upcoming joint venture engine for IMRH that will be co-developed by Safran, France, and HAL.

Furthermore, tests of the Jaguar air producer, the Gas Turbine Starter Unit (GTSU) -110 M2 and 127E of LCA, the Auxiliary Power Units of IMRH and AMCA, and the Gas Turbine Electrical Generator (GTEG)-60 for An-32 aircraft are conducted at the recently constructed facility, which occupies more than 10,000 square meters. Within the new facility, setups have also been constructed to perform different vital testing for LRUs and engine components, the releases noted.

The construction of this facility represents a significant turning point in HAL’s development trajectory, according to CB Ananthakrishnan, CMD (Addl. Charge), of HAL. It is evidence of HAL’s dedication to developing aero-engines in order to realize Aatmanirbharta.