Defence Ministry signs ₹26,000-cr contract with HAL for 240 AL-31FP engines for Su-30MKI fighter jets

The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for 240 AL-31FP aero engines for Su-30MKI aircraft worth ₹26,000 crore, the government said on Monday.

These aero-engines will be manufactured by HAL's Koraput Division and are expected to fulfil the Indian Air Force's need to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet for the country's defence preparedness.

HAL would supply 30 aero-engines per annum as per the contractual delivery schedule. The supply of all 240 engines would be completed over the next eight years.

The contract was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Chief of the Air Staff (CoAS) Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in New Delhi.

During manufacturing, HAL plans to get support from the country's defence manufacturing ecosystem, which involves MSMEs and public and private industries.

By the end of the delivery programme, HAL would enhance the indigenisation content by up to 63% to achieve an average of over 54%. This would also help increase the indigenous content of repair and overhaul tasks for aero-engines.

Shares of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd settled 0.6% lower at ₹4,674 apiece on the NSE.