<p>The Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted production at the city-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) but the state-owned aerospace and defence company is well placed to potentially win an order for the Tejas light combat aircraft from Malaysia.</p>.<p>The southeast Asian nation has issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) for an initial 18 light fighter aircraft. Chairperson and Managing Director of HAL, R Madhavan, said it will respond to the RfP in the third week of September.</p>.<p>Madhavan explained that the company has been trying to rebound from the disruptive effects of the pandemic. “Up to July, it was bad. The first quarter of this year was especially bad. All production activities at the company were affected due to disruptions in matters such as transportation. The material that had to come from abroad was affected because of Covid restrictions...that is how the supply chain got affected,” he told <span class="italic">DH</span>.</p>.<p>“The LCA was not affected because it is a long-term project,” the CMD added, suggesting that the company had managed to obtain all necessary components to sustain the programme.</p>.<p>He was speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of Akshay Patra’s 58th kitchen on Wednesday, which was sponsored by HAL as part of its CSR activities.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/hal-signs-contract-worth-rs-5375-crore-with-ge-aviation-for-supply-of-engines-for-tejas-aircraft-1020784.html" target="_blank">HAL signs contract worth Rs 5,375 crore with GE Aviation for supply of engines for Tejas aircraft</a></strong></p>.<p>Several countries in Eastern Europe, South Asia, West Asia and South America are said to have expressed interest in acquiring the Tejas. “We are in business (with Malaysia) because of their RfP. We stand a very good chance even though there are eight contenders, including the United States, the Russia and China,” Madhavan said.</p>.<p>He explained that such deals usually take 3 to 5 years to materialize and the HAL has been involved in the process for the last two years, with likely another year to finalize. </p>.<p>This is the first breakthrough international interest in an Indian-made military aircraft in the wake of Ecuador’s 2015 cancellation of a Rs 200 crore deal for Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), following several crashes.</p>.<p>Madhavan pushed back a suggestion that the protracted development of the Tejas had rendered the aircraft partly obsolete in the face of fifth generation machines being adopted by other nations. “It is not always correct that the fifth generation is better. The workhorses of a fighter fleet are still fourth or 4.5 generation aircraft. You lose a lot of performance in a fifth generation machine and weapons will also be limited,” he said.</p>.<p>Commenting on the LCA Mark II, he said ground trials will happen next year, in August or December.</p>
<p>The Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted production at the city-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) but the state-owned aerospace and defence company is well placed to potentially win an order for the Tejas light combat aircraft from Malaysia.</p>.<p>The southeast Asian nation has issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) for an initial 18 light fighter aircraft. Chairperson and Managing Director of HAL, R Madhavan, said it will respond to the RfP in the third week of September.</p>.<p>Madhavan explained that the company has been trying to rebound from the disruptive effects of the pandemic. “Up to July, it was bad. The first quarter of this year was especially bad. All production activities at the company were affected due to disruptions in matters such as transportation. The material that had to come from abroad was affected because of Covid restrictions...that is how the supply chain got affected,” he told <span class="italic">DH</span>.</p>.<p>“The LCA was not affected because it is a long-term project,” the CMD added, suggesting that the company had managed to obtain all necessary components to sustain the programme.</p>.<p>He was speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of Akshay Patra’s 58th kitchen on Wednesday, which was sponsored by HAL as part of its CSR activities.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/business/hal-signs-contract-worth-rs-5375-crore-with-ge-aviation-for-supply-of-engines-for-tejas-aircraft-1020784.html" target="_blank">HAL signs contract worth Rs 5,375 crore with GE Aviation for supply of engines for Tejas aircraft</a></strong></p>.<p>Several countries in Eastern Europe, South Asia, West Asia and South America are said to have expressed interest in acquiring the Tejas. “We are in business (with Malaysia) because of their RfP. We stand a very good chance even though there are eight contenders, including the United States, the Russia and China,” Madhavan said.</p>.<p>He explained that such deals usually take 3 to 5 years to materialize and the HAL has been involved in the process for the last two years, with likely another year to finalize. </p>.<p>This is the first breakthrough international interest in an Indian-made military aircraft in the wake of Ecuador’s 2015 cancellation of a Rs 200 crore deal for Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), following several crashes.</p>.<p>Madhavan pushed back a suggestion that the protracted development of the Tejas had rendered the aircraft partly obsolete in the face of fifth generation machines being adopted by other nations. “It is not always correct that the fifth generation is better. The workhorses of a fighter fleet are still fourth or 4.5 generation aircraft. You lose a lot of performance in a fifth generation machine and weapons will also be limited,” he said.</p>.<p>Commenting on the LCA Mark II, he said ground trials will happen next year, in August or December.</p>
