Koraput: Defence minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at Sunabeda in Koraput district on Tuesday to lay the foundation stone for new facilities linked to the Shakti engine.Singh’s visit assumes significance for the HAL Koraput division, which has for decades been associated with the manufacture, overhaul and maintenance of aircraft engines powering some of India’s frontline military platforms. His visit is also expected to underline the growing role of the Sunabeda facility in the country’s drive towards indigenous defence production.Officials said Singh will reach Sunabeda in the afternoon after attending programmes at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam, where he is scheduled to inaugurate upgraded maritime infrastructure and participate in key shipbuilding milestones. At Sunabeda, he will lay the foundation stone for facilities related to the Shakti engine at HAL.The proposed facilities assume importance against the backdrop of India’s efforts to strengthen its domestic capabilities in aero-engine technology and reduce dependence on overseas sources. The Shakti engine programme has a long association with HAL, with its Koraput division playing an important role in the country’s military engine manufacturing and overhaul ecosystem.Meanwhile, security arrangements have been stepped up across Sunabeda and along the routes to be taken by the defence minister. Security personnel have been deployed at key locations and the routes leading to the venue have been thoroughly sanitised as part of the security arrangements.“Security arrangements have been strengthened across Sunabeda, with adequate deployment of personnel. All routes leading to the venue have been thoroughly sanitised and necessary security measures have been put in place for the minister’s visit,” said Koraput SP Rohit Verma.HAL’s Koraput division, established in the 1960s, has evolved over the decades from servicing Soviet-origin aircraft engines to undertaking manufacturing, overhaul and maintenance of engines used in modern combat aircraft. The facility is currently associated with the manufacture and overhaul of engines for the Sukhoi-30MKI fleet, making Sunabeda an important node in India’s military aviation support chain.