HAL TO DELIVER FIRST BATCH OF HTT-40 TRAINER AIRCRAFT TO IAF

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. is set to deliver the first batch of HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF), helping address the force’s growing requirement for pilot training. Three HTT-40 (Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40) aircraft are reportedly ready for delivery—two manufactured at HAL’s Bengaluru facility and one at Nashik, officials familiar with the development told the newspaper. The IAF placed an order for 70 HTT-40 aircraft worth ₹6,838 crore with HAL in 2023 for training rookie pilots. HAL was scheduled to deliver 12 aircraft during 2025-26, but deliveries were delayed due to a shortage of engines. The delay was attributed to supply-chain challenges faced by Honeywell, the US-based company that supplies TPE331-12B turboprop engines for the aircraft. Honeywell delivered its first batch of engines a few months ago and has assured HAL of timely supplies going forward. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated HTT-40 and LCA-Mk1A production lines at HAL’s Nashik facility in October last year. With the new production lines, HAL has the capacity to manufacture up to 20 HTT-40 aircraft annually across its Bengaluru and Nashik facilities. Currently, all IAF rookie pilots undergo Stage-I or ab initio flying training on Swiss-origin Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainer aircraft. After completing this common training stage, pilots are divided into fighter, transport and helicopter streams. Fighter pilots then undergo Stage-II training on the PC-7 MkII and Kiran Mk-1A jet trainers, followed by Stage-III training on British-origin Hawk advanced jet trainers.