HAL to hand over Tejas trainers, HTT-40 aircraft and Dhruv NG helicopters on Friday 

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will hand over Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) twin-seater trainers and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force on Friday, September 18, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

HAL will also hand over Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL) at an event in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

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

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The Defence Ministry said the handover marks an important milestone in India's self-reliance journey.

The event will highlight the role of HAL and its industry partners in strengthening the domestic aerospace ecosystem, the ministry said. It will also showcase the industry's expanding ability to design, develop, and manufacture advanced platforms for civil and military applications.

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 will also attend.

The government has accorded high priority to indigenous design, development, and manufacturing in the aerospace and defence sectors, the ministry said. "The induction of these platforms is another step towards strengthening the indigenous capabilities and reducing dependence on foreign sources," it said.

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The handover of the Tejas trainers comes amid delays in the delivery of Tejas Mk1A aircraft to the IAF.

The first order for 83 Mk1A aircraft, comprising 73 fighters and 10 trainers, was originally scheduled to begin deliveries in 2024 and be completed by February 2028. However, the programme has been delayed, with the late supply of GE Aerospace's F404-IN20 engines emerging as a key bottleneck.