Bengaluru, Sep 18 — Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Friday handed over two Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) Twin Seater Trainers and three HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF), besides handing over four Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), a Government of India public sector helicopter services company under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The handover ceremony was held in Bengaluru in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu.

Rajnath Singh described the occasion as a significant milestone in India's progress towards indigenous aerospace capability, technological self-confidence and self-reliance.

"Our aim is to make India capable, self-reliant and globally competitive in meeting its aerospace requirements," he said.

The Defence Minister noted that India was moving systematically towards self-reliance in defence by manufacturing advanced equipment domestically.

He said the Union government had taken steps to strengthen Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) while also encouraging private industry by ensuring a level playing field.

He stressed that achieving self-reliance in aerospace would require sustained and gradual development rather than a sudden transformation.

"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," Rajnath Singh said, adding that challenges should be viewed as milestones in a long-term roadmap for developing the sector.

He said the handover also demonstrated the growing synergy between civil aviation and defence aerospace capabilities.

He called for an integrated aerospace ecosystem capable of meeting the requirements of both civil and military aviation.

He said that indigenous capabilities in aircraft design, avionics, propulsion, composite materials, flight-control systems, manufacturing and certification would benefit the entire aerospace sector.

Rajnath Singh also highlighted the changing nature of warfare and said that future air operations would be increasingly information-intensive and technology-driven.

He added that combat effectiveness would depend on trained personnel, advanced technology, integrated systems and rapid decision-making.

He expressed confidence that the LCA FOC Trainer would play an important role in preparing pilots for the 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 said.

On the HTT-40, Rajnath Singh said India had traditionally relied on imported aircraft for basic pilot training, while HAL was now manufacturing the aircraft indigenously to meet the IAF's requirements.

He also expressed confidence in the aircraft's potential for exports.

Rajnath Singh described HAL as a key pillar of India's indigenous aerospace efforts, with expertise spanning aircraft manufacturing, helicopter development, overhaul, repair, maintenance and aerospace engineering.

He called on HAL to expand its capabilities across the entire aerospace value chain, including design, development, manufacturing, certification, lifecycle support and global marketing.

The Defence Minister also stressed the need for realistic project timelines, noting that delays in technical projects could create gaps in meeting defence requirements, increase costs and raise the risk of technology becoming obsolete.

Calling research and development a crucial priority, Rajnath Singh urged young scientists, engineers, designers, test pilots and technicians to develop technologies that do not exist today and help India secure a leading position in global aerospace technology over the coming decade.

He also called for greater cooperation between the public and private sectors, saying they should work as collaborators rather than competitors.

Rajnath Singh said India needed to prepare for the transformation of the aerospace sector through artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned aerial systems, electronic warfare, cyber technologies and next-generation propulsion, with a focus on indigenous development and integration.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said the certification and induction of the Dhruv NG into civil operations marked an important milestone for India's indigenous civil aviation ecosystem.

He said it reflected the growing capability of Indian industry to develop and support advanced aerospace platforms for commercial applications.

HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K said the handover of the Tejas FOC Twin Seater Trainers, HTT-40 Basic Trainers and Dhruv NG helicopters demonstrated HAL's ability to develop and deliver platforms for diverse civil and defence requirements.

The two Tejas Twin Seater Trainers handed over to the IAF are the final two aircraft under the FOC contract. They will support the IAF's training requirements and provide pilots with an indigenous training continuum leading to frontline fighter operations.

The HTT-40 is an indigenously designed and developed basic trainer aircraft intended to meet the primary training requirements of the armed forces. It is equipped for basic training activities including aerobatics, instrument flying, navigation, night flying and close formation flying.

The Dhruv NG, meanwhile, marks HAL's expansion into the civil and commercial helicopter segment.

Configured for civil operations, it features enhanced systems, modern avionics and a more powerful engine and can be used for passenger transport, emergency medical services and offshore logistics support.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha also attended the ceremony.

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