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Indian Air Force orders 15 Saras light transport aircraft

  • 12:00 AM, June 18, 2009
  • 1814
The Indian Air Force has ordered 15 indigenous Saras Light Transport Aircraft.A senior Air Force official said that the 14-seat aircraft, designed by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore, costs about $8 million. An NAL scientist said that a structural redesign reduced the weight of the second prototype by more than 500 kilograms from the first prototype, which weighed 5,118 kilograms. The plane is powered by a high-thrust engine from Pratt and Whitney, the scientist claimed. Saras, named after the Indian crane, is a multirole aircraft that can be used for aerial search, border patrol and airlifting troops. It can take off from and land on short, semi-prepared, runways. Saras will get its relevant certifications by 2010, the NAL scientist added.
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