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 HAL Koraput division, which has for decades been associated with the manufacturing, overhauling and maintenance of aircraft engines powering some of India’s frontline military platforms. His visit is also expected to underline the growing role of Sunabeda facility in the country’s drive towards indigenous defence production.Official sources said Singh will reach Sunabeda in the afternoon after attending programmes at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam, where he is scheduled to inaugurate the 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 significance 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. Security arrangements have been stepped up across Sunabeda and along the routes to be taken by the defence minister, said SP (Koraput) 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 Sukhoi-30MKI fleet, making Sunabeda an important node in India’s military aviation support chain.