Indigenous Saras Mk II flight tests scheduled for late 2027-28

(file picture) Saras Mk II, pitched in a highly specialised and historically competitive segment of the 19-seater twin-turboprop commuter as well as utility class which till now is being served by ageing indigenous Dornier 228, will complete the certification by mid 2031. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Away from the public glare on the production of Tejas LCA Mk1A and fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) is quietly developing indigenous passenger aircraft Saras Mk II, with the first flight tests scheduled in the last quarter of 2027-28.

Saras Mk II, pitched in a highly specialised and historically competitive segment of the 19-seater twin-turboprop commuter as well as utility class which till now is being served by ageing indigenous Dornier 228, will complete the certification by mid 2031. Post that, the aircraft will be ready for operations.

To start with, the order book for acquisition of the Saras Mk II appears encouraging to the CSI-NAL officials. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will be the first launch customer of the Saras Mk II, as it has provided letter of intent (LOI) for fifteen aircraft, the CSIR-NAL officials told businessline. “The IAF has also orally indicated requirement of additional 30 Saras which they would commit after the certification of the aircraft. A parliamentary committee recommended two aircrafts per state, which comes to nearly 60. Adding to that, a private company provided enquiry of requirement for an air ambulance. Therefore, the total approximately comes to 105 aircraft which is the basis for revenue generation calculation,” officials revealed.

As of now it has 50 percent indigenous content (IC) in terms of the cost of aircraft, the CSIR-NAL officials told businessline.

Airframe, major assemblies and required jigs and tooling will be developed indigenously, they explained.

Likewise, complete design, development qualification of integrated avionics and flight control system comprising stall warning and protection system (SWPS), brake management system, environment control system, utility services and management system and health monitoring system too will be harvested from within the country, officials stated.

“This constitutes 50 per cent of the total aircraft cost. It is aimed to increase the IC with separate indigenisation programmes with the support from the government,” officials noted.

On the other hand, the import content is confined to engines(Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-67A turbo-prop) ,propeller, fuel system components, navigation sensors, raw material and alloys. A few critical components in systems like pressure manifold for brake by wire, civil approved inertial reference system are also being acquired from abroad.

According to officials, the modular Line-Replaceable Units (LRUs), such as radios and computers, are not available domestically and are ITAR-controlled. ITAR is a set of US government regulations restricting the import and export of defense-related products, services, and data.

State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which is the licence manufacturer of Dornier 228, is the production partner for Saras Mk II project. HAL Kanpur will be setting up a production line, and would be responsible for sales and after sales and maintenance and repair operations of the aircraft.

HAL is also helping the programme in design and development of landing, wheels and brake and setting up of the fuel system test rig, officials in the leading aerospace company and CSIR stated.