IAF to buy 70 trainer aircraft from HAL at Rs 6,800 crore

The Indian Air Force will buy 70 home-grown HTT-40 trainer aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 6800 crore, the Defence Ministry announced on Thursday.

“Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited concluded a contract for 70 HTT-40 indigenous trainer aircraft worth Rs 6,800 crore,” the ministry said in a statement, without sharing any further details. The announcement was made at the conclusion of three business days at the ongoing Def-Expo at Gandhinagar.

In August 2020, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cleared a Rs 7,600 crore deal to purchase the homemade trainer aircraft. As per the plan, the HAL would initially supply 70 such aircraft, post-certification, while the remaining 36 would come after operationalisation of the HTT-40 fleet in the IAF.

The HAL receives the Request for Proposal for 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft from the IAF at Aero India 2021

The indigenous trainer was virtually written off till a few years ago due to its disappointing development history. The turn around happened when the Defence Ministry decided to root for the home-grown platform rather than ordering more Swiss origin Pilatus basic trainer aircraft – currently used by the IAF to train rookie pilots.

On the opening day of the Def-Expo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a new look HTT-40 that would eventually be used for basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying and close formation flights whereas its secondary roles would include navigation and night flying.

The aircraft currently has a provisional clearance for airworthiness from the CEMILAC, but the HAL said the HTT-40 would be certified to international military aircraft training standards. All the tests required for certification were completed in record six years from the first flight.

“The HTT-40 has completed all Systems tests, all PSQR (preliminary staff qualitative requirement) performances, hot weather, sea level and cross wind trials and user assisted technical trials. Its controls optimized and 10 Turn Spins demonstrated on clean aircraft. The aircraft has demonstrated rain water resistance,” the company said.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari and his predecessor Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria (rtd) have flown the aircraft.