All you need to know about Military Aircraft by Tata Group

In a first for the private sector industry, Tata Group gained the Intellectual Property (IP) rights for a German-origin platform to develop an indigenous military aircraft in India. It is in line with Prime Minister Modi's vision of AtmaNirbhar Bharat-- supporting local defense capabilities and reducing dependence on costly imports.  

The plan is to integrate indigenous sensors and payloads to convert it into an intelligence-gathering asset. If the venture is successful, Tata Group will become the first private sector entity to build military-grade aircraft-- an area of high-tech expertise that has traditionally been the exclusive domain of the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

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Highlights:

1- As per the media reports, the aircraft will be based on the Grob G 180 SPn-- a German-made jet that never reached its final production due to financial distress. 

2- The aircraft is reportedly designed for flying at an altitude of 41,000 feet, having a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet. 

3- Once inducted, the aircraft will be used for cross-border surveillance and signal intelligence, among other military purposes. 

4- The aircraft is designed to land on grass and gravel. 

5- The aircraft is expected to have a range of 1800 nautical miles, 6-7 hours endurance with payload capacity in excess of 1,000 kg. 

6- The high-altitude, twin-engine aircraft that is capable of playing multiple roles is currently in the final stages of testing in Germany. 

7- The aircraft is likely to arrive in India in the next three months for further integration. 

8- It was presented in Aero India 2021. 

MD of TASL, Sukaran Singh stated, "We are now focussing on modifying the aircraft to fit special payloads so that it can undertake a demonstration of surveillance capabilities. For a country like India, with multiple mountain ranges spread across the country, including on international borders, this capacity is extremely vital. India has been dependent on foreign suppliers to meet this need."

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He further added, "With TASL bringing this aircraft technology to the table, India will have a cutting edge air-borne surveillance platform, with control over the software, customization as well as maintenance, based within the country."

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