BackPilatus Aircraft, Tata Advanced Systems to make aerostructures in Hyderabad
Pilatus, Tata will manufacture and supply Pilatus PC-12 'Green Aircraft' aerostructures
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Mumbai: Switzerland’s Pilatus Aircraft Ltd and India’s Tata Advanced Systems Ltd on Tuesday signed an agreement for manufacture and supply of Pilatus PC-12 “Green Aircraft" aerostructures at Tata Advanced Systems facility in Hyderabad.
This will include assembly of complete airframe for the aircraft, including integrated fuselage, wing, cockpit, ailerons, fins, and rudders.
The Pilatus PC-12 is turbine-powered business aircraft with over 1,300 aircraft already sold worldwide.
Pilatus is currently supplying its PC-7 MkII Basic Trainer Aircraft to the Indian Air Force as part of its contract for 75 such Aircraft.
“The partnership is also important in the context of Pilatus’ offset obligation resulting from the sale of the PC-7 MkII Training Aircraft System to the Indian Air Force", said Markus Bucher, chief executive officer (CEO) of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.
Offsets are obligations imposed on foreign vendors selling their products to India. As part of defence procurement policy (DPP) 2005, counter-trade obligations were imposed on foreign firms that are awarded defence contracts worth more than Rs300 crore by way of transfer of critical technologies and production of components to India.
According to the defence ministry, as of 31 March 2013, 23 offset contracts worth $4.6 billion were at various stages of execution. The first of these was signed in 2007.
S. Ramadorai, chairman of Tata Advanced Systems, said his company’s desire is to further strengthen partnership with Pilatus to develop capabilities for complete aircraft manufacturing in India, which will meet the needs of the Indian defence forces.
Tata Advanced Systems also has partnerships and joint ventures with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
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