Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), which is mainly in aerospace and defence segments, and marquee Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) are part of the diversified Tata Group.
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During his visit to TASL’s upcoming Defence MRO site near the Bengaluru airport, Chandrasekaran appreciated that the company’s land mobility division has internationalised its footprint.
The company has supplied over 4,000 such multi-axle high-mobility platforms with applications to the Royal Moroccan Army and the Armenian Armed Forces in the last three years, according to sources aware of the Tata Sons Chairman’s interactions during the visit to the site.
The defence MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility is slated for commissioning by the end of December this year. It will be India’s first private defence MRO facility in Bengaluru, spanning 15,000 square metres on 16 acres of land for conducting heavy maintenance and avionics upgrades for the Lockheed Martin C130J transport aircraft.
TASL’s value additions on the JLR Defender vehicles for use in military applications by adding optronics, navigation aids, armouring, and meeting a variety of end uses were cited by the Tata Group Chairman as a good example of synergies between group companies, the sources said.Also Read: From Tata to tech giants, Indian companies tighten grip on UK economy
Chandrasekaran, the sources said, was briefed on TASL’s indigenously developed Loitering Munitions (LMs) platform, showcasing an upgraded range with operational ranges extending from 50 kilometres to hundreds of kilometres and heavier payload capabilities.
The Advanced Armoured Platform — which is the first tracked combat vehicle designed and built jointly with DRDO and integrated with TASL’s in-house developed 30 mm crewless turret — was also showcased.
The Tata Sons Chairman also visited the e-City facility, which also houses TASL’s strategic UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) programme.
Also, Chandrasekaran visited the company’s Vemagal facility in the Kolar district in Karnataka. The Final Assembly Line (FAL) for Airbus H125 helicopters has been set up there by TASL and the aircraft maker.
He also inspected the Defence Vemagal facilities, which included a comprehensive review of the C295 wiring harness facility, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Mounted Gun Systems (MGS), and launcher system integration hangars, the sources said.