Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is preparing to deploy a fully automated robotic drilling system for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) wing structures at its Bengaluru facility.
Expected to be operational by the end of 2027, this major manufacturing upgrade aims to drastically reduce production time and accelerate the delivery of Tejas Mk1A fighter jets to the Indian defence forces.
Addressing the Squadron Depletion
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is currently operating with approximately 30 fighter squadrons, which remains significantly below its sanctioned strength of 42.To bridge this critical gap, the IAF has placed a firm order for 83 Tejas Mk1A fighters, with a contract for an additional 97 aircraft currently in the pipeline.
With global supply chain challenges—particularly regarding the delivery of GE F404 engines—creating broader timeline pressures, HAL is modernising its airframe production lines to ensure completed jets reach the flight line as rapidly as possible.
The Manufacturing Bottleneck
Currently, drilling holes into the Tejas wing is a meticulous and time-consuming manual process.The Tejas features a "compound-delta" wing constructed like a layered sandwich: a tough outer skin of carbon-fibre composite over an internal skeleton of aluminium-copper alloy and titanium.
Because these materials react differently to heat and pressure, drilling must be done dry. Using standard coolants would ruin the carbon fibre, while pushing a drill too hard can cause the composite layers to separate (delamination) or create metal burrs on the titanium bones.
Due to these strict tolerances, a single hole drilled by hand takes between 25 to 35 minutes.
With a single pair of wings requiring approximately 16,000 precisely placed holes, manual drilling consumes weeks of continuous labour.
The Robotic Solution
To solve this mathematical bottleneck, HAL is introducing a turnkey robotic cell that will complete the drilling, countersinking, and quality inspection of a hole in under 60 seconds.This automation will allow HAL to finish drilling a wing side in just five days, resulting in a production capacity of 20 full wing sets per year.
The technology is being delivered through a global consortium led by Bengaluru-based MSME ADD Engineering Components (India).
The partnership includes:
- True Position Robotics (UK): Providing aerospace-grade automated drilling and inspection technology.
- Robot-Technology GmbH (Germany): Supplying the robotic cell, mobile axis, and system integration.
- Ripple Technologies (India): Delivering the specialised tooling and fixtures.
How the System Works
The new system relies on a six-axis robotic arm mounted on a mobile platform that floats on air bearings.Rather than moving the massive wing, the wings are locked in place while the robot navigates around them.
Using cameras and optical guidance, the robot references a digital 3D model of the aircraft to locate its targets.
A pressure foot squeezes the composite and metal layers tightly together before a water-cooled spindle drills the hole.
Immediately after, an automated probe verifies the hole's diameter (to a strict ±0.005 mm tolerance) and depth.
If a single hole falls outside the accepted parameters, the machine halts.
Future-Proofing Indian Aerospace
Spearheaded by HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi Kota, this transition represents a permanent shift in how India manufactures its combat aircraft.Quality control will no longer depend on manual endurance during long shifts; instead, microscopic precision will be built directly into the assembly line.
Furthermore, the new robotic cell is future-proofed. The software is already specified to accept design data for India's upcoming defence programmes, including the heavier Tejas Mk2 and the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
