Important Facts For Prelims
Saras Mk-2
- 06 Jan 2020
- 1 min read
Why in News
The National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) has been pushing the government to make Saras Mk-2 commercially viable.
- NAL wants the government to use it under UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) because it has the capacity to operate in ill-equipped, semi-prepared and unpaved airstrips.
Key Points
- Saras Mk-2 is 19-seater aircraft. It was developed with a target cost of ₹50 crore which is at least 20-25% lower in cost than other aircraft in a similar category.
- The NAL developed this first indigenous light transport aircraft.
- The NAL suggests using this for VIP services or tackling emergencies in times of natural calamities.
National Aerospace Laboratories
- It is India's first largest and only government aerospace R&D laboratory in the country’s civilian sector.
- It was established by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at Delhi in 1959 and its headquarters was later moved to Bangalore in 1960.
