HAL training plane, HTT-40, makes inaugural flight

“When I came here in March 2015, the confidence they had infected me too. They had promised me that within a year they would fly the aircraft. I am happy they have kept their promise,” Parrikar said after the 15-minute inaugural flight by Group Captain C Subramaniam and Group Captain Venugopal at the HAL airport.

[related-post]

Watch Video: What’s making news

The HTT-40, meant to train rookie pilots in the IAF, had flown for the first time on May 31 this year. Parrikar has asked HAL to get the aircraft into production phase in the next two years.

Last year the Defence Ministry stated that the requirement for 181 basic trainers in the defence forces would be met by the purchase of the indigenous HTT-40 alongside the Swiss Pilatus. The IAF is said to be interested in procuring 70 HTT-40s for its basic training requirements.

HAL chairman T Suvarana Raju called the development of HTT-40 a symbol of the company’s indigenous aircraft development capability.

The development of the trainer aircraft has been riddled with controversy, with questions being raised on whether an indigenous aircraft is desirable when deals for purchase of basic trainers like the Pilatus are in the pipeline. HAL has over the last couple of years pushed strongly for HTT-40, and the Make in India initiative helped HAL in clinching decisions in favour of the HTT-40 development.

While the aircraft is largely indigenous, it will be flown with imported Honeywell TPE 331 – 12B engines.