BENGALURU: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday praised aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for “delivering three indigenous aviation platforms from one stage” as India’s PSU delivered two FOC LCA Mk1 trainers and three HTT-40 trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force and four Dhruv NG civilian helicopters to Pawan Hans Ltd from its biggest aircraft complex.However, the defence minister flagged concerns about delays in indigenous defence platforms, saying they “lead to cost escalations and increase the risk of technology obsolescence”. He also called for “realistic project timelines to address delays in ongoing technical projects”. He said this at a time HAL is yet to deliver 180 Tejas MK1A aircraft signed with the IAF in two separate contracts (for 83 jets in 2021 and 97 fighters in 2025 worth over Rs 1.1 lakh crore) owing to issues with missile and radar integration with the combat aircraft. These issues are dragging the HAL delivery timelines of MK1A even as the IAF is desperately in need of fighters with its squadrons depleting to just 29 from ideal 42.5.In presence of civil aviation minister K R Naidu and IAF chief ACM A P Singh, Rajnath also urged “young scientists, engineers, designers, test pilots, and technicians to take it as a challenge to create technologies that do not exist today”. He called upon them to develop capabilities that secure a leading position for India in the global aerospace technology landscape over the coming decade.Calling it a “big milestone” for HAL for delivering three platforms in one day, its CMD Ravi K said his test pilots had taken the efforts of testing these indigenous platforms in extreme conditions to make them eligible for certification.With the handing over of two FOC trainer aircraft on Friday, the HAL has completed the delivery of all 40 LCA Mk1 jets signed in two phases (2006 and 2010). The handover of the HTT-40 flight trainer, now officially named ‘Ankur’, marks the beginning of deliveries under the defence ministry’s 70-aircraft contract. HTT-40 trainer has been a long-pending demand of the IAF that needed an indigenous trainer to train its rookie pilots. Dhruv NG helicopters are the civil-certified version of the Advanced Light Helicopters made for the military.
LCA MK1 trainer
Dhruv NG helicopter final at HAL facility in Bengaluru
The minister described the handing over as a significant milestone in the nation’s progress towards indigenous aerospace capability, technological self-confidence and self-reliance. “We’ve taken steps to not only provide the opportunity to defence PSUs to advance in the defence sector, but also encourage the private industry, ensuring a level playing field,” he said.He stressed the need to advance systematically in the aerospace sector, terming self-reliance in the domain as the need of the hour. “There can be no sudden ‘big bang’ in the development of aerospace systems. It is a vast and gradual process involving a wide range of components. All the products and components involved represent small rungs on a long ladder; we must move forward one step at a time. Naturally, there would be challenges, but we need to view them as milestones on a larger roadmap to achieve progress in a sector as complex and crucial as aerospace,” he said.Rajnath Singh also termed the handing over ceremony as a symbol of the growing synergy between civil aviation and defence aerospace capabilities, emphasising that the development of a robust aerospace industry should not be limited merely to meeting defence requirements. He called for building an ecosystem capable of effectively addressing the needs of both the civil and military aviation sectors. He expressed confidence that the LCA FOC Trainer will play a crucial role in preparing the pilots for this demanding operational environment. “While the Dhruv-NG exemplifies our indigenous civil aerospace prowess, LCA FOC Trainer stands as a symbol of indigenous military aerospace capability and the maturity of its fighter aircraft ecosystem,” he added.On HTT-40, Rajnath stated that India had, for years, relied on imported aircraft to meet its basic training requirements, but HAL is now indigenously manufacturing HTT-40 to cater to the needs of IAF. Highlighting the aircraft’s export potential, he expressed confidence that the HTT-40 would find demand in international markets and fulfil its intended role in strengthening India’s aerospace capabilities.
