DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF FLIES THE HINDUSTAN TURBO TRAINER HTT-40

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit AVSM VM VSM, Deputy Chief of Air Staff, piloted the Hindustan Turbo Trainer Aircraft – 40 (HTT-40) basic training aircraft, at Bangalore today. Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the aircraft was designed and developed in-house by HAL’s Aircraft Research & Design Center and is based on the training requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.

The HTT-40 is a fully aerobatic aircraft, powered by a four-bladed turboprop engine. It features a state-of-the-art glass cockpit, modern avionics, and the latest safety features, including a zero-zero ejection seat. The coach has a maximum speed of 450 kilometers per hour and a maximum service ceiling of six kilometers. The HTT-40 first flew on May 31, 2016 and achieved system level certification on June 6, 2022. Clearance by the Center for Airworthiness and certification for the entire aircraft is currently underway.

The IAF has signed a contract with HAL for the supply of 70 aircraft, the introduction of which will start on 15 September 2025 and continue until 15 March 2030. The HTT-40 will improve the quality of training of the forces’ ab-initio pilots Indian Armed Forces. The tender will also include a full mission simulator for the aircraft that will complement aerial training by allowing pilots to practice different profiles on the ground prior to sorties.

The HTT-40 represents a further step towards achieving greater autonomy in the sphere of defense and aviation, in line with the government’s vision of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.

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ABB/AM/SM