HAL hands over military, civil aviation and training platforms

On September 18, the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Civil Aviation K.R. Rammohan Naidu attended a handover ceremony in which the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) delivered military and civil rotary wing aviation platforms and pilot training aircraft. The ceremony marked the completion of twin-seater Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) trainer deliveries under a Final Operational Clearance (FOC) contract, with HAL handing over two LCA trainers to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

These twin-seaters were intended to support the training pipeline, enabling trainee pilots to transition from the twin-seat platform to fighter aircraft.

Additionally, HAL transferred four Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), symbolizing the induction of the civil-certified Dhruv NG into the civil aviation sector. The Dhruv NG, a 5.5-tonne, light twin-engine, multi-role helicopter, was developed by HAL to cater to challenging operating conditions in India and is adaptable for various civilian roles, including VIP transport, passenger and utility services, HEMS, air ambulance operations, and specialized activities like offshore work, law enforcement, disaster relief, and search and rescue.

The ceremony also saw the transfer of the Bengaluru-based HAL's HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the IAF. Named Ankur on the occasion, the HTT-40 is designed to support multiple stages of basic pilot training, encompassing basic flying, aerobatics, general handling, instrument flying, navigation, night flying, and close formation flying. According to HAL, this marks the commencement of deliveries under a Ministry of Defence contract for 70 aircraft.