Fulfilling the longstanding demand of the Indian Air Force, Union Cabinet has approved procurement of 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of over ₹6,800 crore.

In another decision, the Union Cabinet has also allowed Indian Navy to sign a contract with Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) for acquisition of three cadet training ships at a cost of ₹3,108.09 crore.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft is a turbo prop aircraft and is designed to have good low-speed handling qualities and provide better training effectiveness. This fully aerobatic tandem seat turbo trainer has air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics, hot refuelling, running change over and zero-zero ejection seats.

The aircraft will meet the shortage of basic trainer aircraft of the IAF for training of newly inducted pilots. The Ministry stated that being an indigenous solution, the trainer aircraft is configurable for upgrades to incorporate the futuristic requirements of the armed forces. The aircraft procurement will include associated equipment and training aids including simulators, the Ministry observed.

The HTT-40 contains about 56 per cent indigenous content which will progressively increase to over 60 per cent through indigenisation of major components and subsystems.

Employment

The HAL would engage domestic private industry, including MSMEs, in its supply chain to meet its multiple parts demand. “The procurement has the potential to provide direct employment to approx. 1,500 personnel and indirect employment for up to 3,000 people spread over more than 100 MSMEs,” the Defence Ministry stated.

The acquisition of the HTT-40, believes the Ministry, will provide fillip to the Indian aerospace defence ecosystem and boost efforts towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

L&T to deliver 3 cadet training ships

Similarly, three cadet training ships for Indian Navy will be delivered from 2026 onwards by the L&T under Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)} category.

These ships will cater to the training of officer cadets, including women, at sea after their basic training to meet the future requirements of the Indian Navy, said the Ministry.

The Ministry stated that the ships would also provide training to cadets from friendly countries with the aim to strengthen diplomatic relations, apart from being deployed for evacuation of people and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

The maritime platforms will be indigenously designed, developed and constructed at L&T shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai. “The project will generate an employment of 22.5 lakh man-days over a period of four-and-half years. This will encourage active participation of Indian shipbuilding and associated industries, including MSMEs,” said the Defence Ministry.

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