Tejas & HTT-40 trainers, Dhruv choppers take flight: HAL’s big push to build India’s aerospace power
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) marked a significant milestone in India’s aerospace journey by handing over Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) twin-seater trainers and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, along with Dhruv Next Generation helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited, at a ceremony in Bengaluru.The defence ministry described the occasion as an important milestone in India’s self-reliance journey, showcasing HAL’s growing ability, along with its industry partners, to design, develop and manufacture advanced platforms for both military and civil applications.The presence of the HTT-40 alongside Tejas twin-seaters is particularly notable, as the two aircraft now occupy different but complementary stages of the IAF’s pilot-training pipeline. The HTT-40 will supplement the Swiss-origin Pilatus PC-7 Mk II at the ab-initio, or basic flying, stage, while the Tejas twin-seater will support advanced type-conversion training.The HTT-40 is a fully aerobatic, tandem-seat turboprop trainer equipped with a glass cockpit, modern avionics, hot-refuelling capability and zero-zero ejection seats. These features are aimed at addressing long-standing gaps in the early stages of IAF pilot training.With an initial indigenous content of 56%, expected to rise beyond 60%, the aircraft also represents a step towards reducing India’s dependence on imported training platforms. The IAF has ordered 70 HTT-40 aircraft for Rs 6,800 crore. Deliveries are already a year behind schedule. HAL was originally expected to begin handing over the aircraft in September 2025, with all 70 aircraft scheduled to be delivered by March 2029.The HTT-40 is powered by Honeywell’s TPE331-12B turboprop engine.The timing of the handover is significant as the broader Tejas Mk1A programme continues to face delivery delays, partly because of the late supply of GE Aerospace’s F404-IN20 engines. The IAF’s original order for 83 Mk1A aircraft (comprising 73 fighters and 10 twin-seat trainers) was scheduled to begin deliveries in 2024 and be completed by February 2028. That timeline has since slipped considerably.The delays have stemmed from multiple factors, including HAL’s inability to integrate some key aircraft systems within the planned timeframe and GE Aerospace’s delayed supply of the F404-IN20 engines.HAL has been contracted to deliver 180 Tejas Mk1A aircraft in total. Of these, 27 airframes have been manufactured so far, while GE has supplied only 10 engines, further constraining the pace of deliveries.Beyond the military side, the inclusion of Dhruv NG helicopters for Pawan Hans broadens the significance of the event to civil aviation. It reinforces the government’s broader push to expand indigenous aerospace manufacturing across both defence and commercial applications, a dual-track ambition that HAL is increasingly being positioned to deliver.
