Defence Ministry Signs Rs 6,800 Cr Deal With HAL To Procure 70 Trainer Aircraft

The defence ministry on Tuesday signed a deal with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) in the procurement of 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft at a cost of over Rs 6,800 crore for the Indian Air Force.

The ministry also notified its finalised contract with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the acquisition of three cadet training ships worth over Rs 3,100 crore.

According to reports both procurement proposals were cleared by the prime minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the 1st of March.

It highlighted HAL will be providing 70 HTT-40 aircraft over a period of six years with a scheduled delivery to commence in 2026.

The ministry suggests, HTT-40 is a turbo-prop aircraft possessing good low-speed handling qualities providing better training effectiveness.

It said, “The aircraft will help in solving the shortage of basic trainer aircraft of Indian Air Force meant for the training of newly-inducted pilots. It added its procurement associate’s equipment and training aids including simulators.

The ministry emphasised being an indigenous solution, the aircraft is configurable for upgrades that incorporate the futuristic requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.

It underscored the aircraft delivery over a period of six years.

It further hinted that HAL is likely to engage the domestic private industry, including MSMEs, in its supply chain. And stressed the procurement’s potential that benefits direct and indirect employment to thousands of people spread over more than 100 MSMEs.

Commenting on the cadet training ships, the ministry said the training of the officer cadets will include the women at sea after meeting their basic training of future requirements in the Indian Navy.

With an aim to strengthen diplomatic relations, the ships would also provide training to cadets from friendly countries, it said.

Officials claim it has approximately 56 per cent indigenous content which helps in a progressive increase to over 60 per cent leading to the indigenisation of major components and subsystems.

Meanwhile, the ministry has signed both contracts in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and others including Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane.

The others to witness the sealed contract were senior civil and military officials of the ministry, along with the representatives of HAL and L&T respectively.