Defence ministry mulls umbrella body to flight-test & evaluate all aircraft, choppers, drones & weapons – Times of India
NEW DELHI: With the continuing growth in the country’s military aviation industry, the defence ministry is now examining a proposal to set up a National Aerospace Testing Establishment (NATE) as a specialized umbrella body for testing and evaluating all kinds of aircraft, helicopters, drones and airborne weapons.The proposed NATE will ensure an “integrated and synergistic approach” among the armed forces, which have their own flight-testing establishments, as well as DRDO and defence PSUs like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), among others.“Such a body will bring all disparate agencies under one umbrella and cut down the time-consuming process of first ground and then airborne testing of aircraft, which often delays projects. It will enhance efficiency,” a source said.NATE will also be ...