A handover ceremony of various military and civil rotary wing aviation along with pilot training platforms developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was held in Bengaluru on Friday (September 18). Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu were present.

HAL handed over two Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) trainers to the Indian Air Force (IAF), completing the twin seater deliveries under the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) contract.

A contract for 16 LCA fighter aircraft and four twin seaters in the FOC configuration was placed between the IAF and HAL in 2010. HAL said that the twin seaters are intended to support the training pipeline and facilitate the graduation of trainee pilots from the twin-seat platform to fighter aircraft.

Four Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters were also handed over to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), marking the induction of the civil-certified Dhruv NG into the civil aviation segment.

The Dhruv NG is a 5.5-tonne, light twin-engine, multi-role helicopter developed by the HAL to address demanding operating conditions in India and has been upgraded for the requirements of the global civil aviation market.

According to HAL, the Dhruv NG has a configurable cabin that can be adapted for different civilian roles, including VIP/VVIP transport, passenger and utility, HEMS and air ambulance and also for specialised operations such as offshore operations, law enforcement, disaster relief and search and rescue.

Aircraft for basic training

The Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) basic trainer aircraft intended to meet the primary training requirements of the Indian defence services was also handed over to the IAF.

The HTT-40 aircraft, formally named Ankur on the occasion by the Defence Minister, is designed to support multiple stages of basic pilot training, including aerobatics, general handling, instrument flying, navigation, night flying and close formation flying.

The Bengaluru defence PSU said that the handover of the HTT-40 aircraft to the IAF marks the beginning of the deliveries under the Ministry of Defence contract for 70 aircraft.

Mr. Singh called for realistic project timelines to address the delays in the ongoing technical projects. “Delays can create gaps in meeting critical defence requirements, lead to cost escalations and increase the risk of technology obsolescence,” Mr. Singh said.

He added that there was no need to view public and private sectors as competitors but to look at them as collaborators. “There is a need for enhanced public-private synergy to build next-gen indigenous aerospace capabilities. By working together, we can accelerate the growth of India’s aerospace sector. We must prepare for the sector’s transformation through Artificial Intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare, cyber technologies, and next-generation propulsion, with a strong focus on their indigenous development and integration,” he added.