BENGALURU: Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science & Technology, on Saturday unveiled the production version of the Hansa-3(NG) aircraft at the CSIR National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru, highlighting India’s growing capabilities in indigenous aerospace manufacturing and the need to significantly expand the country’s pilot workforce.
“We have 6,000 to 7,000 pilots currently operating aircraft, given that Indian airlines cumulatively have over 1,700 aircraft on order. However, with the increasing demand, we need to scale up and expand our operations and will need 25,000 pilots to operate aircraft in the next 10 years. Or else we have to depend on sources from other countries,” Dr Singh said.
The Hansa-3(NG), a two-seater next-generation trainer aircraft, has been commercialised in collaboration with Pioneer Clean Amps (PCA), which will set up a manufacturing facility at Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh to produce 70 to 100 aircraft annually and employ about 250 people. “The aircraft will satisfy the requirements of flying clubs for obtaining PPL (Personal Pilot License) and CPL (Commercial Pilot License) for the younger generation. This is also a new venture to invest in terms of entrepreneurship. This is the best example of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.
Dr Singh also highlighted CSIR-NAL’s ongoing development of the 19-seat Light Transport Aircraft, SARAS MK2, featuring digital avionics, glass cockpit, autopilot, command-by-wire flight control system, and pressurised cabin. “IAF has already given a letter of intent to initially procure 15 aircraft for troop transfer. The SARAS MK2 will be helpful for both civil and military operations,” he said.
The minister inaugurated the Iron Bird Facility for SARAS Mk-2, a manufacturing unit for High Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and the NAviMet aviation meteorological system at HAL Airport. He said the Iron Bird Facility will serve as a ground-based testing platform to integrate and validate aircraft systems, reducing flight testing risks and costs. “Only a few countries such as the USA, UK, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand, and Japan have initiated programmes to develop high-altitude aircraft, and India has joined this group. The first flight of the full-scale high-altitude UAV to 20 km is planned for March 2027,” he said.
Dr Singh also announced a collaborative agreement between CSIR-NAL and Solar Defence & Aerospace Ltd to design and develop a 150 kg class Loitering Munition UAV powered by a NAL-developed Wankel engine. The UAV will have a range of 900 km, endurance of 6-9 hours, GPS-denied navigation, low radar cross-section, and AI-enabled detection, recognition, and identification capabilities.