A handover ceremony for military and civil rotary‑wing aircraft and pilot training platforms was held in Bengaluru on Friday, September 18, attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu.
HAL handed over two Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) trainers to the Indian Air Force, completing the twin‑seater deliveries under the Final Operational Clearance contract. The original 2010 contract called for 16 LCA fighters and four twin‑seaters to support the training pipeline and enable trainee pilots to transition from the twin‑seat platform to the fighter aircraft.
Four Dhruv Next Generation helicopters were also delivered to Pawan Hans Limited, marking the introduction of the civil‑certified Dhruv NG into the civil aviation sector. The 5.5‑tonne, twin‑engine, multi‑role helicopter is designed for demanding operating conditions in India and has been upgraded for global civil aviation requirements. Its configurable cabin can be adapted for VIP transport, passenger and utility roles, HEMS, air ambulance, offshore operations, law enforcement, disaster relief and search and rescue.
The Hindustan Turbo Trainer‑40 (HTT‑40), named Ankur by the Defence Minister, was handed over to the IAF as a basic trainer aircraft. It is intended to support multiple stages of basic pilot training, including aerobatics, general handling, instrument flying, navigation, night flying and close‑formation flying.
Defence Minister Singh urged realistic project timelines to address delays in ongoing technical projects, warning that delays can create gaps in meeting critical defence requirements, lead to cost escalations and increase the risk of technology obsolescence. He emphasized that the public and private sectors should collaborate rather than compete, and called for enhanced public‑private synergy to accelerate the growth of India’s aerospace sector through artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare, cyber technologies and next‑generation propulsion, with a strong focus on indigenous development and integration.
