BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AVRO AIRCRAFT

The HS-748 Avro is a medium-sized transport aircraft with a payload capacity of around five tonnes. The aircraft is powered by two turboprop engines. It was originally designed by the British firm Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the ageing Dakota DC-3 twin piston-engine transport aircraft. The first HS-748 undertook its maiden flight in June 1960 and thereafter a total of 380 aircraft were built by the British aerospace company Hawker Siddeley. Production of the aircraft in the UK came to an end in 1988.

The Avro was selected for the IAF in a competition against two other platforms namely the Handley Page Herald and the F-27 Fokker Friendship. Following contractual agreements in 1959, assembly of the Avro aircraft for the IAF commenced at its newly established Aircraft Manufacturing Depot at Chakeri in Kanpur. This unit became a part of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in October 1964. The first Avro aircraft assembled at the IAF unit in Kanpur took to the air in November 1961. Subsequently, induction of the aircraft into the IAF began in 1964 and in all, a total of 89 aircraft were built in India by HAL of which 17 were taken over and operated by the domestic carrier Indian Airlines for feeder services. The remaining were operated by the IAF and the paramilitary forces. Today around 50 remain in service with the IAF. The Avro fleet has been employed primarily for carriage of troops, communication duties, logistic support tasks and training of pilots and navigators on transport aircraft. Over the years, the IAF has lost four Avro aircraft in major accidents that involved large number of fatalities.

After operating the Avro for over four-and-a-half decades, the IAF initiated a case for the replacement of the ageing fleet. However, like most projects for procurement of military hardware, this project too has had its share of turmoil and turbulence albeit of lower intensity. of the Indian aerospace industry for manufacturing the aircraft in India. One notable feature of the tender document was that the Indian aerospace major HAL was excluded from participating in this project which was restricted to the private sector. The IAF was of the view that as HAL was already overburdened with projects and was finding it difficult to adhere to time lines; it would not be advisable to assign it another major project and further compound its difficulties. Besides, the IAF felt that the private sector of the Indian aerospace industry was mature enough to take on this project and the time had come to provide it an opportunity. It would also be a litmus test for the private sector that was eager to enter the market for military hardware. Thus the IAF sowed the seeds of the ‘Make in India’ philosophy that was to emerge two years later.

The first salvo against the proposal was fired by Praful Patel, Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, who protested against the decision to exclude the defence public sector undertaking HAL which was the only organisation that had the capability and track record of manufacturing aircraft even if it was merely under licensed production. His reaction was not surprising as by virtue of the appointment he was holding, he had no option but to bat for HAL.