HAL to hand over Tejas trainers, HTT-40 aircraft and Dhruv NG helicopters to IAF, Pawan Hans

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will hand over LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) twin-seater trainer aircraft and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, along with Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

The handover ceremony will be held in Bengaluru on September 18.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu will be present at the handover ceremony.


Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and HAL CMD Ravi K are also expected to attend.

The handover is being positioned as a milestone in India's push for self-reliance in aerospace and defence manufacturing. The government said the platforms highlight HAL and its industry partners' growing ability to design, develop and manufacture aircraft and helicopters for both military and civil applications.

The induction of the platforms is also aimed at strengthening domestic aerospace capabilities and reducing dependence on foreign sources, the ministry said. Senior officials from the defence and civil aviation ministries, the IAF, Pawan Hans, regulatory agencies and the aerospace and defence industry will attend the event.