HTT-40, flying in formation with a Tejas fighter (above) has native content of 56% but will increase more than 60% soon
By Vikas Gupta
Defence News of India, 2 Mar 23
The Union Cabinet has approved the purchase of 70 Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) at cost of Rs 6,828 crore.
“HAL will deliver all 70 aircraft over a period of six years,” the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a press release on Wednesday.
The HTT-40 is a turboprop aircraft, designed to have good low-speed handling for better training efficiency. This fully aerobatic tandem-seat turbo trainer features an air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics, hot-air refueling, gear shifting, and zero-zero ejection seats.
“The aircraft will address the shortage of BTAs for training newly inducted IAF pilots. The purchase price will include associated equipment and training aids, including simulators. As a trainer fully indigenous, the BTA is configurable for upgrades to incorporate the futuristic requirements of the Indian Armed Forces,” the MoD said.
“The HTT-40, which was designed, developed, tested and validated by HAL, contains approximately 56% native content. This will gradually increase to over 60% through the indigenization of major components and subsystems,” the MoD said.
HAL says it will engage Indian private industry, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), in its supply chain. “The market has the potential to provide direct employment for around 1,500 people and indirect employment for up to 3,000 people in 100 MSMEs,” the MoD said.
The acquisition of the HTT-40 gives a boost to the Indian aerospace defense ecosystem and boosts “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
L&T will build three cadet training vessels for Rs 3,100 crore
The Cabinet has also approved a contract with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the construction of three Cadet Training Vessels at an aggregate cost of Rs 3,108 crore, under the category Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) }.
The delivery of these vessels should start from 2026.
These ships will provide training at sea for cadets, including women, after their basic training.
Apart from meeting the future personnel requirements of the Indian Navy, these ships would also be used to train cadets from friendly foreign countries with the aim of enhancing diplomatic relations.
The ships can also be deployed to evacuate people as part of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions.
The vessels will be designed, developed and built locally at L&T’s Kattupalli Shipyard in Chennai. The project will generate employment of 22.5 lakh man-days over a period of four and a half years. This should encourage the active participation of Indian shipbuilding and associated industries, including MSMEs.
“With the majority of equipment and systems sourced from local manufacturers, these vessels will be a proud flagship of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in line with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative,” the Ministry of Health said. Defense.
