Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the gathering during the handing-over ceremony of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas twin-seater trainers and Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Dhruv Next Generation helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited, at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on Friday. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

New Delhi: State-run defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Friday handed over LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance twin-seat trainer aircraft and the first HTT-40 basic trainer to the Indian Air Force, besides four Dhruv next-generation helicopters to Pawan Hans.

The aircraft were displayed, and a puja was performed at a ceremony in Bengaluru attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh and civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu.

Singh also sat inside the displayed Dhruv NG, a HAL-designed and manufactured 5.5-tonne, twin-engine multirole helicopter.

Calling for an ecosystem capable of meeting both civil and military aviation requirements, Singh stressed the importance of developing indigenous technologies. He urged scientists and engineers to pursue cutting-edge innovations and develop technologies needed to meet future defence requirements.

HAL said the handover marked an important milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance and highlighted the contribution of the company and its industry partners to the domestic aerospace ecosystem.

HAL handed over two LCA FOC trainer aircraft, completing twin-seat deliveries under the FOC contract. The four Dhruv NG helicopters delivered to Pawan Hans marked the civil-certified aircraft’s induction into the commercial aviation sector.

The HTT-40 basic trainer, named Ankur on Friday, was also handed over to the IAF, marking the start of deliveries under a 70-aircraft contract.

HAL said the LCA FOC trainer was a lightweight, all-weather, multirole 4.5-generation aircraft designed primarily to meet the IAF’s training requirements while retaining the ability to undertake combat operations.

It features relaxed static stability, a quadruplex fly-by-wire flight-control system, carefree manoeuvring, an advanced glass cockpit, integrated digital avionics and extensive use of composite materials.

The Dhruv NG, developed for demanding Indian operating conditions and upgraded for the international civil aviation market, has a civil-certified glass cockpit, modern avionics, advanced navigation systems and improved situational awareness. Its safety features include crashworthy seats, self-sealing fuel tanks and twin-engine redundancy.

The indigenously designed HTT-40 is intended to meet the primary training requirements of the Indian defence services. Designed by HAL’s Aircraft Research and Design Centre, it can be used for aerobatics, general handling, instrument flying, navigation, night flying and close-formation flying.

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