India to add 70 more trainer jets from HAL |
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s cabinet approved the procurement of 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The approval was given to the Indian Air Force. The procurement would cost around Rs 6,828 crores. The aircraft will be supplied over a period of six years. The HTT-40 is a turboprop aircraft designed to have good low-speed handling qualities and provide better training effectiveness. It has a fully aerobatic tandem seat turbo trainer with an air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics, hot refueling, running changeover, and zero-zero ejection seats. The aircraft is expected to meet the shortage of basic trainer aircraft of the IAF required for training newly inducted pilots. The aircraft, being an indigenous solution, is configurable for upgrades to incorporate the futuristic requirements of the IAF. The procurement will include associated equipment, training aids, and simulators. The HTT-40 contains around 56 percent indigenous content, which would increase to over 60 percent through the indigenization of major components and subsystems. The HAL would engage Indian private industry, including MSMEs, in its supply chain. The acquisition of the HTT-40 provides a fillip to the Indian Aerospace Defence ecosystem by boosting efforts towards `Atma Nirbhar Bharat`.
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