Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to lay the foundation stone for new facilities linked to the Shakti engine at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Koraput district in Odisha on Tuesday.
Shakti engine is a joint Indo-French initiative between HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines to develop and manufacture the Safran Ardiden 1H1 turboshaft engine for India's military requirements.
Shakti engine powers the Dhruv and LCH (Light Combat Helicopter) helicopters of the HAL. More than 250 units are now in service.
According to Safran, the engine "features a remarkably compact modular architecture. This design ensures that the engine remains very cost-effective, particularly in terms of maintenance and cost of ownership. These engines are particularly well-suited to demanding mission profiles, delivering sustained performance in hot-and-high conditions."
Singh is likely to reach Sunabeda in the district on Tuesday afternoon after attending programmes at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam, where he is scheduled to inaugurate upgraded maritime infrastructure and participate in key shipbuilding milestones.
HAL's Koraput division has been playing a major role in India's military engine manufacturing and overhaul ecosystem for decades. The Shakti engine programme is expected to give further boost to the effort, according to an official.
The officials noted that the proposed facilities are important for the country's efforts to boost its domestic capabilities in aero-engine technology and reduce import dependence.
Koraput district administration has made tight security arrangements across Sunabeda and along the routes he is scheduled to take ahead of the visit by the defence ministeer.
"Security has been tightened in view of Singh's scheduled visit to Sunabeda. The entire routes leading to the venue have been thoroughly sanitised, and necessary security measures have been put in place for the minister's visit," Koraput SP Rohit Verma said.
HAL's Koraput division was established in the 1960s and has evolved over the decades from servicing Soviet-origin aircraft engines to undertaking the manufacturing, overhaul and maintenance of engines used in modern combat aircraft.
—With agency inputs
