The Indian Air Force (IAF) has sought a quotation from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to make its basic Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT-40) to train its pilots. A top official on Thursday confirmed that the IAF has sent an RFQ (request for quotation) to the state-run company. HAL Chairman R Madhavan, in a conversation with the press at the 13th edition of Aero India 2021, said that they have received an RFQ from the IAF to make HTT-40 aircraft for basic training of their rookie pilots.
The Chairman also mentioned that of 106 trainers required by the IAF, they will deliver 70 in the first phase. The city-based defence behemoth will deliver the remaining 36 trainers after the IAF inducts the first batch into their fleet.
The defence acquisition council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on August 11, 2020, approved the purchase of 106 HTT-40 trainers for the IAF at a cost of Rs 7,600 crore.
The RFQ reportedly came six years after the IAF was scheduled to buy more Pilatus basic trainer aircraft (PC 7 MkII) from the Swiss maker. The defence ministry in July 2019 blacklisted the Swiss makers for allegedly violating Indian weapon procurement rules.
The IAF had been training their rookie pilots in the 75 planes it bought from the Swiss aerospace major from 2014 till 2018. However, with the BJP-led NDA government stressing on 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India), the IAF opted for the native basic trainer.
A prototype of HTT-40 was flown by Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on November 14, 2019. The flying capabilities — including the stall and spin — were examined by him during the sortie in Bengaluru’s aerospace hub.
HAL had earlier bagged a deal of providing LCA (light combat aircraft) Tejas. The contract for procuring 83 Tejas light combat aircraft was sealed on Wednesday at the inaugural ceremony of Aero India-2021. The deal was confirmed in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.