Article Posted on : - May 02, 2014

Dornier aircraft. Photo: Indian Air Force.

KANPUR (PTI): State-run aerospace firm HAL has handed over a Dornier light-weight aircraft to the DRDO to carry out testing of its under-development airborne radar systems.

The aircraft, called the 'Nabhratna' (jewel of the sky), was handed over on Thursday by HAL Chairman RK Tyagi to DRDO chief Avinash Chander at a function here.

"We needed this aircraft much more than anything else for testing of radar in air as we had to depend on others to loan the aircraft. The use of flying test bed (FTB) aircraft will reduce the cycle time for development for airborne system," Chander said.

"Money invested for the aircraft will give us returns many times more as the aircraft will prove its worth in the months to come," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Tyagi said the aircraft is aptly named 'Nabhratna' and DRDO will find it extremely useful.

"The aircraft will be used by Bangalore-based Electronics and Radar Development Establishment as FTB for evaluation of performance of various radars. This aircraft is equipped with indigenous synthetic Aperture Radar and state-of-the-art avionics and communication system," he said.

The HAL-manufactured Dornier-228 is a highly versatile, multi-purpose, fuel efficient, rugged, reliable and light weight twin turbo prop transport aircraft.

HAL and DRDO had signed a contract on May 30, 2013 for supply of one aircraft along with spares and tools.

Earlier, the DRDO used to loan the aircraft for testing radars from the Navy or the Coast Guard and it was difficult to spare the aircraft because of operational needs resulting in delay in the development of radars, the HAL said.