The Union Cabinet has approved the purchase of seventy HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft from HAL.

The Union Cabinet authorised the acquisition of seventy HTT-40 primary trainer aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The authorization was granted to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The acquisition would cost approximately Rs 6,828 billion. The aircraft will be delivered over a six-year period.

WHAT IS HTT-40?

The HTT-40 is a turboprop aircraft designed for improved training effectiveness and low-speed manoeuvrability. It possesses a fully aerobatic tandem seat turbo trainer with an air-conditioned cockpit, contemporary avionics, hot refuelling, running change over, and zero-zero ejection seats.

NEED FOR HTT-40

The aircraft is anticipated to alleviate the IAF’s lack of basic trainer aircraft necessary for training newly-inducted pilots. As an indigenous solution, the aircraft is capable of being upgraded to meet the IAF’s future needs. The acquisition will encompass supplementary equipment, training aids, and simulators.

Through the indigenisation of major components and subsystems, the indigenous content of the HTT-40 would increase to over 60 percent. The HAL’s supply chain would include Indian private industry, including MSMEs.

It is anticipated that procurement will generate direct employment for approximately 1,500 individuals and indirect employment for up to 3,000 individuals across more than 100 MSMEs.

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The acquisition of the HTT-40 gives the Indian Aerospace Defense ecosystem a boost by bolstering efforts towards “Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”