Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered two Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) twin-seater trainers and three Hindustan Turbo Trainer 40 (HTT-40) basic trainers to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The handover ceremony took place in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 18 September 2026, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the LCA Tejas FOC twin-seaters are the final aircraft to be delivered under the FOC contract for IAF training.
The trainers are equipped with the same core systems and combat features as the frontline Tejas fighter, giving trainee pilots exposure to the operational platform they will transition to in active service.
The HTT-40 basic trainers, named Ankur, are designed for the primary training of Indian defence forces, feature a turboprop engine and modern cockpit systems.
In addition, the aircraft offers stable low-speed handling for pilot training and can be used for various training activities, such as aerobatics, general handling, instrument flying, navigation, night flying, and close formation flying
Speaking at the ceremony, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the handover a major step in strengthening India’s indigenous aerospace capability, technological confidence, and self-reliance.
“Our aim is to make India capable, self-reliant, and globally competitive in meeting its aerospace requirements. We’ve taken steps to not only provide the opportunity to Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) to advance in the defence sector, but also encourage the private industry, ensuring a level playing field,” he said.
The Government of India ordered 16 LCA fighters and four twin-seater aircraft in FOC configuration from HAL in 2010.
Looking ahead, HAL intends to deliver 29 MK1A twin-seater LCA aircraft to the IAF by the 2033-34 timeframe.
The HTT-40 is a basic trainer aircraft designed and developed in India. It is equipped with a modern cockpit and avionics suite. HAL has a contract to deliver 70 HTT-40 aircraft to the MoD.
During the ceremony, HAL also supplied four Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited (PHL), signifying further steps in India’s development of indigenous aerospace capabilities.
The delivery of Dhruv NG helicopters marks the platform’s entry into commercial rotary-wing service.
The civil variant has improved powerplants, updated avionics, and meets AS-4 regulatory requirements, allowing it to perform missions such as passenger transport, medical evacuation, and offshore logistics, the MoD stated.
