The Hindu : National : Kalam for indigenously developed jet airliner

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Sunday, Aug 21, 2005

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Kalam for indigenously developed jet airliner

Calls for a national aeronautics commission to plan, design and develop the aircraft

There are more than 300,000 engineers and an infrastructure worth more than Rs. 20,000 crores

BANGALORE: President A.P.J Abdul Kalam on Saturday called for a mission mode-approach by India in developing a 150-seater jet airliner and selling it to other countries.

With the convergence of technologies in aeronautics and space and the availability of vast infrastructure and human resource, "India can definitely launch such missions in the international market," Mr. Kalam said.

He was delivering the JRD Tata Memorial lecture on "Vision for Aeronautics-Missions'' at the National Institute of Advanced Studies here.

Recalling the efforts of JRD, a pioneer in the aviation industry, Mr. Kalam said the need of the hour was a national aeronautics commission, which should be planned and mandated to design, develop and send a passenger aircraft soaring into the skies. "When our 150-seater aircraft flies in our sky, JRD will smile."

Mission-mode approach

The President stressed on a mission mode-approach for building the jet airliner. "Looking at the current scenario, the mission mode-approach to develop a 150-seater passenger aircraft will be technologically satisfying enough to attract youngsters to take up aeronautical education and research, will make economic sense and, at the same time, meet national requirements." A similar approach and national vision for the Light Combat Aircraft, the Advanced Light Helicopter and the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme had been successful earlier.

Referring to Vision 2020, he said that India was expected to be one of the fastest growing countries in the aviation sector. He called for a national aeronautics policy to integrate the strength in both civil and military sectors and bring a synergy in the aviation sector. Implementation of such a policy would usher in an era of high technology and high skill industry environment resulting in generation of assets, wealth and employment.

Space systems and missile and aeronautics groups had demonstrated technological excellence in their products through networking with academic institutes, industries and the Government. There are more than 300,000 engineers and an infrastructure worth more than Rs. 20,000 crores. To tap this opportunity, an appropriate policy should be in place, Mr. Kalam said.

The President also called for integrated development of a supersonic, unmanned combat aircraft, a hypersonic reusable missile and a hyperplane and planetary missions, including manned missions for energy and water.

He said that aerospace had moved away from being a hard engineering subject and encompassed many emerging areas such as software, material science, control and guidance and computer and communication technologies.

This multi-disciplinary area could be developed only by uniting minds working in diverse areas. — PTI, UNI

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