The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to begin receiving deliveries of the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) basic trainer aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) starting September 2025. A contract for 70 HTT-40 aircraft was approved by the Indian government, with deliveries to be made over approximately six years.

The initial batch of 70 aircraft is intended to meet the critical shortage of basic trainer aircraft in the IAF, which currently operates only 75 Pilatus PC-7 trainers against a sanctioned requirement of 181 basic trainers. Following the delivery and operationalisation of these 70 HTT-40s, an additional order for 36 more aircraft is expected to be placed to fully meet the IAF’s training aircraft needs.

The HTT-40 is a fully indigenous, tandem-seat turboprop aircraft designed and developed by HAL’s Aircraft Research and Design Centre specifically for basic pilot training. It serves as the first stage trainer for IAF rookie pilots, who will subsequently transition to Kiran Mark-II jets and then advanced Hawk jets for intermediate and advanced training respectively.

The aircraft is optimized for basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying, and close formation flying, with secondary roles including navigation and night flying missions.

Key design features of the HTT-40 include a fixed-wing all-metal airframe with an air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics with multifunction displays, and zero-zero ejection seats for pilot safety. Powered by a Honeywell Garrett TPE331-12B turboprop engine producing around 1,100 hp (derated to 950 hp), the HTT-40 achieves a top speed of 450 km/h (279 mph) and has a maximum operational range of 1,000 km.

The aircraft weighs around 2.8 tonnes at maximum take-off and is designed to have excellent low-speed handling characteristics to enhance training effectiveness. Its certified service ceiling is 6,000 meters, and it supports aerobatic manoeuvres with g-limits of +6 to -3.

Manufacturing is to be carried out at HAL’s facilities in Bangalore and Nashik, with the first 12 aircraft scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025-26, followed by steady deliveries of around 20 trainers per year, mostly assembled in Nashik.

The HTT-40 complements the existing Pilatus PC-7 fleet, which will eventually be replaced by this indigenous platform. Moreover, HAL’s production process includes engaging Indian private industry and MSMEs to increase indigenous content from the current approximately 56% to over 60% in future aircraft.

The induction of the HTT-40 marks a significant step towards self-reliance in India’s defence manufacturing under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative, addressing a long-standing bottleneck in pilot training capability for the IAF.

The HTT-40 was first publicly demonstrated in flying displays at Aero India 2025, showing its capability and readiness for operational induction. The aircraft has undergone extensive trials including systems, weather condition, and performance tests and holds provisional airworthiness certification from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification.

Starting from September 2025, the IAF will induct the HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft, with an initial order of 70 units followed by an additional 36 aircraft. This trainer will be the backbone of the IAF’s primary pilot training program, providing an indigenously designed, modern, and cost-effective solution with state-of-the-art features tailored to meet India’s defence training infrastructure needs for the coming decades.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)