HAL, BEL line up their top products for Defexpo

Bangalore-based defence public sector companies Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) said they have lined up their top products and future hardware for showcasing before an international defence community gathering at Defexpo India 2014, which opens in New Delhi on Thursday.

Military aircraft maker HAL said its prominent displays include models of the Multirole Transport Aircraft, the Light Utility Helicopter, combat helicopter LCH, and the HTT-40 basic trainer.

BEL said the network-centric warfare systems it has developed for the defence forces would be its main showpiece. The electronics major’s portfolio includes novel and secure communication systems, including computer that can be worn on the wrist or held by hand, and radars.

The Ministry of Defence organises its exhibition focussing on land, naval and internal security systems every two years, alternating it with the biennial Bangalore Aero India, air show-cum-exhibition.

At this year’s three-day Defexpo, HAL said it would include the multipurpose Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter, the Intermediate Jet Trainer, the Sukhoi-30 fighter, the Dornier-228 and the Hawk advanced pilot trainer. The pilotless target aircraft Lakshya for missile practice, the PSLV and GSLV rockets that are made for the space programme will also be on display at the Pragati Maidan event, the defence public enterprise said.

HAL chairman R.K. Tyagi is slated to open the HAL stall on Thursday. The event will have seminars, conferences and business meetings on the trends and opportunities in the defence sector.

“Defexpo is an ideal platform for Indian defence industries to showcase their capabilities and explore the latest trends of [the country’s] defence needs on land, sea and internal security fronts,” HAL said. At the 2012 edition, there were 232 foreign companies from 32 countries.

BEL’s naval network-centric warfare solutions, for example, include a Combat Management System, which automates tactical data from a ship’s sensors to enable decision making by the ship’s command. The IP-based Composite Communication System combines voice, data and video and has software developed at BEL.

The BEL-made night vision devices are considered crucial for soldiers. There are also systems that enable electronic warfare and avionics segments, radar fingerprinting systems and avionics components for HAL’s light combat aircraft. BEL has developed them independently as well as with the Defence Research and Development Organisation.