From MiG-21 to LCA Tejas, India's incredible defence journey comes alive in HAL Amar Chitra Katha

From the Hindustan Trainer-2 (HT-2) to the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A, India's military aerospace journey will soon be brought to life through an illustrated book, as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) partnered with Amar Chitra Katha to showcase the country's evolution in defence aviation to the young readers.

Titled 'HAL: The Force Behind the Forces', the book chronicles eight decades of India's aerospace journey, tracing the country's transformation from merely assembling aircraft under foreign licence to emerging as its primary aerospace and defence manufacturer.

"The collaboration with Amar Chitra Katha was inspired by a shared vision of making India's aerospace and defence journey engaging and inspiring for younger generations. HAL has played a pioneering role in building India's aerospace capabilities over the past eight decades, and we wanted to present this legacy in a format that resonates with children, students and families," an HAL spokesperson was quoted by ANI as saying.

The publication features some of India's landmark aerospace platforms, including the HT-2, the country's first indigenously designed and manufactured trainer aircraft; the HF-24 Marut, India's first indigenous jet fighter and the first combat aircraft designed in Asia outside the Soviet Union; the HJT-16 Kiran intermediate jet trainer; the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand; and the LCA Tejas.

One of the illustrations captures HAL's gradual transition from licensed production to indigenous manufacturing. As engineers are shown assembling the MiG-21, MiG-27 and Su-30MKI, an HAL official narrates the company's journey:

"We assembled MiG-21s and MiG-27s at Nasik. We manufactured Su-30MKIs, our main air fighters, with engines built at Koraput. At first we imported everything. Then we started making half (of the aircraft). Now? Now we make almost everything."

The illustrations highlight India's progression from dependence on imported technology and licensed production to the development and manufacture of indigenous combat aircraft, with the LCA Tejas representing the country's flagship achievement.

The HAL spokesperson said the organisation hopes the book will inspire young readers to appreciate India's aerospace and defence journey while recognising HAL's contribution to indigenous platform development.

"We hope the publication inspires young readers to appreciate India's remarkable journey in aerospace and defence and recognise the vital role played by HAL in building indigenous platforms over the years. More importantly, we want to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and innovation, while fostering a sense of pride in India's growing capabilities in aerospace and defence," the spokesperson said.