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Pranab visits defence installations

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JUNE 13. The Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, today visited defence installations here and witnessed the flight demonstration of the light combat aircraft (LCA), the intermediate jet trainer (IJT) and the Dhruv helicopter.

He also promised full cooperation and support from the Ministry to the defence research and development institutions and their scientists to complete all ongoing projects and achieve the targets. Mr. Mukherjee's first visit to Bangalore after taking over as the Defence Minister came about without any prior publicity. His predecessor, George Fernandes, had made such visits, especially in the last few months of NDA rule at the Centre.

Mr. Mukherjee visited some of the defence establishments and R&D institutions before leaving for Kolkata.

The Minister also visited the Centre for Airborne Systems, lightning test, main airframe static and `iron bird' facilities and saw the display of the Saras civilian aircraft, defence sources said.

HAL officials provided detailed accounts of the developments achieved by scientists working in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Aircraft Research Development Centre (ARDC), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and the Electronic Radar Development Establishment (LRDE).

The HAL Chairman and Managing Director, N. R. Mohanty, the NAL Director, B.R. Pai, the ADA Director, M.B. Verma and senior HAL officials interacted with the Minister.

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, and the Minister for Water Resources and Transport, M. Mallikajun Kharge, received Mr. Mukherjee at the airport in the morning.

Newspaper photographers and correspondents were kept away from the establishments visited by Mr. Mukherjee.

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