Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday lauded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for its round-the-clock support to the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Operation Sindoor, highlighting the company’s critical role in ensuring the operational readiness of India’s fighter jets and helicopters during the four-day military confrontation with Pakistan in May.

Speaking at Nashik during the inauguration of new production lines for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) and the HTT-40 basic trainer, Singh emphasized that HAL’s teams worked tirelessly at multiple operational sites to maintain and repair aircraft, keeping them ready for deployment at all times.

“HAL provided support at various operational sites 24 hours a day during Operation Sindoor. It ensured the IAF’s operational readiness by carrying out prompt maintenance on fighter jets and helicopters,” Singh said, also flagging off the first LCA Mk-1A manufactured at Nashik.

The Nashik Division had previously integrated the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with the Russian-origin Su-30 fighter jets. Singh highlighted the strategic significance of this achievement, noting that these missiles successfully struck terrorist hideouts during the operation. “This proves that we can produce our own equipment and protect the nation with it,” he added.

Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, involved precision strikes on terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7.

The new LCA Mk-1A production line in Nashik — India’s third, and first outside Bengaluru — comes weeks after the Defence Ministry signed a ₹62,370-crore contract with HAL for 97 additional aircraft to address the IAF’s pressing shortage of fighter jets. With the earlier February 2021 order of 83 Mk-1As, the total number of jets on order has now reached 180. The Nashik facility will increase HAL’s production capacity from 16 jets per year in Bengaluru to a combined 24 jets annually.

The HTT-40 production line at Nashik, HAL’s second and first outside Bengaluru, is expected to deliver the first trainer aircraft to the IAF by January 2026, with 11 more to follow before the financial year ends under a ₹6,838-crore contract for 70 locally manufactured aircraft. Singh described these production lines as exemplars of government-industry-academia synergy, underscoring India’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing. “The country, which once imported 65-70% of critical military hardware, is now producing 65% domestically. We are committed to reaching 100% in the near future,” he said.

HAL chief D.K. Sunil termed the operationalisation of these production lines as a testament to the firm’s expansion capabilities. The Nashik Division, originally established in 1964 for MiG-21 licensed production, has produced over 900 aircraft and overhauled more than 1,900, including MiG-21, MiG-27, and Su-30 jets. Sunil added that the Nashik facility has created approximately 1,000 jobs and fostered partnerships with over 40 industry collaborators, aligning with the government’s vision for effective public-private cooperation in defence.

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