Bangalore: Denying delay on its part, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on March 23 said it was ready to deliver Lakshya, the Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA), being eyed by foreign buyers, from the next fiscal itself, once it gets the Indian Air Force order.

"We are still awaiting an order from the IAF. Once we get an order, we will be able to deliver from 2003-04 onwards," the Bangalore-based aerospace major's chairman N R Mohanty said.

Terming as "unfortunate" the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC)'s report blaming HAL for delay in serial production of PTA, Mohanty said HAL was ready to manufacture the required 25 Lakshyas to the IAF.

The PAC report last week said HAL was yet to open the production line for the aircraft even five years after the successful development of Lakshya.

Lakshya, a re-usable, high-subsonic, aerial target system which could be launched either from ground or ship has been developed indigenously by Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment. It is used for training of land or ship- based gun and missile crew and combat aircraft pilots in weapon engagement.

HAL, the report said, had indicated that the IAF required 65 Lakshya aircraft, but there were no orders from Army and Navy to start serial production.

"That (manufacture of Lakshya) is not a difficult thing at all," Mohanty said.

PTI