HAL hands over two LCA trainer aircraft to Air Force

Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu during the handover ceremony where Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) hands over Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Final Operational Clearance (FOC) two-seat trainer aircraft and HTT 40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). | Photo credit: ANI

A handover ceremony of various military and civil rotary-wing aircraft along with pilot training platforms developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was held in Bengaluru on Friday (September 18). Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu were present.

HAL has handed over two Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) trainers to the Indian Air Force (IAF), completing the delivery of the two-seat aircraft under the Final Operational Authorization (FOC) contract.

A contract for 16 LCA fighters and four two-seaters in FOC configuration was awarded between the IAF and HAL in 2010. HAL said the two-seaters are intended to support the training pipeline and facilitate the transition of training pilots from the two-seater platform to fighter aircraft.

Four Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters were also handed over to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), bringing the civil certified Dhruv NG into the civil aviation segment.

The Dhruv NG is a 5.5-tonne light twin-engine multi-role helicopter developed by HAL for demanding operating conditions in India and has been upgraded for the requirements of the global civil aviation market.

According to HAL, the Dhruv NG has a configurable cabin that can be customized for various civilian roles including VIP/VVIP transport, personal and public services, HEMS and air ambulance as well as specialized operations such as offshore operations, law enforcement, disaster relief and search and rescue.

Aircraft for basic training

The IAF was also given the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) basic trainer aircraft to meet the primary training requirements of the Indian Defense Services.

Formally named by Defense Minister Ankur, the HTT-40 aircraft is designed to support several levels of basic pilot training, including aerobatics, general handling, instrument flying, navigation, night flying and close formation flying.

The Bengaluru-based defense PSU said the handover of the HTT-40 aircraft to the IAF marks the start of deliveries under the Ministry of Defense contract for 70 aircraft.

Mr. Singh called for realistic project timelines to address delays in ongoing engineering projects. “Delays can create gaps in meeting critical defense requirements, lead to cost escalation and increase the risk of technology obsolescence,” Mr Singh said.

He added that there is no need to view the public and private sectors as competitors, but to view them as collaborators. “Greater public-private synergy is needed to build our own next-generation aviation capabilities. Working together, we can accelerate the growth of India’s aviation sector. We must prepare to transform the sector through artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare, cyber and their integration with a strong focus on powering them with an emphasis on their integration.”

Published – 18 Sep 2026 18:06 IST