Manohar Parrikar to inaugurate copter maintenance plant tomorrow

PANAJI: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will tomorrow inaugurate a helicopter maintenance plant, a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ( HAL) and a French company, in Sattari taluka of Goa.

Parrikar will inaugurate Helicopter Engine MRO Pvt Ltd, a joint venture company of HAL, Bangalore and SAFRAN Helicopter Engines, France, an official release said.

The plant has been set up at Honda village, where the company had purchased assets from the state government-run Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

It has been built at an investment of Rs 170 crore and will service military helicopter engines, an EDC source said

HAL and Safran, an aircraft engines manufacturer, had earlier announced they will form a joint venture for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of helicopter engines used in the country as well as those from other countries.