Times of India(26-06-2006)
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/
HAL exits from Russian Regional Jet
Mumbai: It crash-landed before it could take off. Public sector Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd has shelved its plans of investing in
international consortium for building passenger jets following opposition
by some partners to contract out aircraft development works to the country.
The consortium, christened Russian Regional Jet, plans to build passenger
jets with a seating capacity of 60, 75 and 95.
“We wanted to join the consortium as a risk partner. We were ready for investment
to the tune of $100 million. But if after all this, some development works
cannot be done in India then we think, its not worth such a huge investment,”
highly placed sources in the Bangalore-based defence aeronautics behemoth
said.
This was the first attempt by the public sector undertaking to join the fast-growing
and increasingly crowded civilian airplane manufacturing sector.
On top of that, sources said, there was not much clarity about the market
and valuation.
“We don’t have a clear idea about the market and partners in the project.
And we believe competing with the existing players like Brazil’s Embraer
and Canada’s Bombardier would be very tough as they are already established
players in the regional passenger airplane sector,” sources said.
As per the original plan, the leading consortium partner, Sukhoi would design
the aircraft, which will be powered by a SAM 146 engine, developed by French
aeroengine major Snecma Moteurs and its Russian counterpart NPO Saturn. Toulouse-based
Thales will provide avionics while Boeing will manufacture the body and take
care of the certification.
HAL was offered a 10% stake in the consortium as a risk sharing partner and
was to have produced airframe modules, which contains empennage, canopy frame
and some critical components for the entire RRJ family, sources said.
Missiles on PM’s radar
By Rajat Pandit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is now giving the original missile
man, President Abdul Kalam, a run for his money. From the economics of prices,
he is now turning his attention to the physics of warfare.
After watching the Israeli Barak anti-missile system successfully intercept
an incoming Russian P-21 missile from aircraft carrier INS Viraat last month,
the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has now popped up on the PM’s radar.
The PM will be visiting the BrahMos Aerospace complex in Delhi Cantonment
on Wednesday to learn about the lethal missile.
Sources said BrahMos chief A Sivathanu Pillai and other top officials will
brief the PM on the capabilities of the airbreathing missile, which flies
at a 2.8 Mach speed to distances up to 300 km at present.
The economist in Manmohan Singh, of course, should be pleased with BrahMos’
‘superb’ export potential. With India and Russia having decided to export
it to ‘friendly countries’, negotiations with several countries like Chile,
South Africa and Malaysia are in progress.
It’s estimated that there will a $10-billion demand for missiles like
BrahMos — since all other current anti-ship missiles either fly at subsonic
speeds or have a much shorter range — in the coming decade.