Strategic Cooperation in Current and Future Indian Aircraft Programmes
Liebherr Aerospace has signed an MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) that enables strategic cooperation in HAL’s current and future aircraft programmes.
Under the agreement, the two companies will collaborate in identifying and defining “the best solutions” in terms of landing gear, actuation, air management, and power conversion systems for HAL’s fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. “Together with the strengthening of Liebherr-Aerospace’s presence in India, the signature of the contract will enable the acceleration of additional joint projects between HAL and Liebherr,” stated the European company.
HAL has sought partnerships with foreign OEMs to both modernise and improve the quality of the platforms it provides to Indian civil and security markets, especially as New Delhi seeks to acquire more locally-produced equipment under its ‘Make in India’ initiative. HAL has not only license-built several aircraft types for the Indian military, but has also locally developed and produced several of them, including the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, the HTT-40 trainer, the Light Combat Helicopter, and the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter. The state-owned company also recently announced it has begun working on a 5th-generation fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project.
Given the range of platforms produced by HAL, the company is bound to benefit from the recently agreed co-operation with Liebherr, which produces a wide range of aviation equipment for the civil and defence sectors, including flight control and actuation systems, gears and gearboxes, landing gear and air management systems as well as electronics.
