HAL to hand over Tejas trainers, HTT-40s and Dhruv NG helicopters in Bengaluru

New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will hand over LCA (light combat aircraft) Tejas FOC (final operational cleared) twin-seater trainers and the first batch of Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) basic trainers to the Indian Air Force in Bengaluru on Friday. The company will also deliver Dhruv NG (next generation) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), bringing military and civil platforms together at the same handover.

The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, and the civil aviation minister, K Rammohan Naidu, are scheduled to attend the event. The Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh; the defence production secretary, Sanjeev Kumar; the civil aviation secretary, Samir Kumar Sinha; and HAL chairman and managing director, Ravi K; are among the senior officials expected to be present.

The Times of India reported that HAL will hand over two Tejas-Mk1 FOC trainers, three HTT-40 aircraft and four Dhruv NG helicopters. The defence ministry release announcing Friday’s event did not specify the quantities.

The two Tejas aircraft are the final twin-seat trainers under the IAF’s original 40-aircraft Mk1 programme, comprising 32 single-seat fighters and eight trainers. The twin-seat aircraft are designed primarily to meet the IAF’s training requirements, but can augment the fighter role if required. Delivery of the final two aircraft will complete the original Mk1 order.

The three HTT-40s will form the first batch under the IAF’s order for 70 indigenous basic trainers. The defence ministry signed the ₹6,828.36 crore contract with HAL in March 2023. Designed and developed by HAL, the turboprop aircraft is intended for ab-initio training of newly inducted pilots.

As RNA Media reported earlier, HAL had been preparing the first three HTT-40s for delivery after engine supply constraints delayed the programme. 

The civil side of the handover will involve four Dhruv NG helicopters for Pawan Hans. HAL signed contracts in January for the supply of 10 Dhruv NG helicopters, along with associated spares and accessories, for more than ₹1,800 crore, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by 2027.

The Dhruv NG is the civil next generation variant of HAL’s advanced light helicopter family. It is intended for roles including passenger transport, offshore operations and air ambulance services, and has received type certification from the directorate general of civil aviation.

The defence ministry said the handover would showcase HAL and its industry partners’ expanding capability to design, develop and manufacture aerospace platforms for both military and civil applications.