Chasing the Indigenous Supersonic Dream: The History and Legacy of the HAL Marut Fighter Jet
In the early 1950s, the Indian ministry set its sights on developing an indigenous aircraft for the Indian Air Force that could eventually be made supersonic. To that end, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) began recruiting personnel to build a Mach 2-capable, twin-engine aircraft for the airforce fleet. In 1956, the project officially launched with the goal of designing a supersonic combat fighter aircraft for India. However, the engineering team at HAL lacked the expertise to design and manufacture such aircraft. To overcome this challenge, the team sought the assistance of Kurt Tank, a German aeronautical engineer and test pilot.
In 1961, after numerous design improvements, the HAL HF-24 MARUT prototype made its inaugural flight powered by two Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 703 turbojets. Unfortunately, the Marut was unable to reach the target speed of Mach 1 due to being underpowered (maximum speed recorded was Mach 0.93/1135 kmph). While the airframe was capable of sustaining speeds above Mach 2, the insufficient engine power made the aircraft slow. Despite this, the same version of the aircraft was deployed into service in 1964 after India acquired several supersonic jets from abroad.
It was more cost-effective to purchase aircraft components from other countries and assemble them rather than manufacturing them in India to build or further develop the Marut. As a result of political pressures and criticism surrounding India’s association with Germany on the Mach 2 project, the dream of an indigenous supersonic aircraft in India was not realized for the next five decades. It was not until 2015 that the HAL Tejas was certified supersonic and introduced into the Indian Airforce.
Despite the HF-24 Marut’s inability to meet its targets, the government still planned to acquire over 200 of them. Ultimately, only 147 were produced and inducted into the Indian Airforce. With its underpowered engines, the Marut was used in low-level flying missions to destroy enemy troops on the ground during the Indo-Pak war in 1971. It was reported to have good low-flying capabilities, but its manoeuvrability was limited due to its underpowered engines. It was also noted for having good safety records in regards to manual control of flight controls when the hydraulic systems failed.
After multiple incidents of the canopy flying off the aircraft due to excessive vibrations from the engines at high speeds, the Marut was deemed no longer operationally viable. The Marut (Spirit of the Storm) fleet was fully phased out by 1990, despite never reaching its full potential. Today, the Marut remains a significant part of Indian aviation history and can still be found in museums across the country. Its legacy serves as a reminder of the dedication and determination of the Indian Airforce to push the boundaries of aviation technology and defend the nation’s skies.
