The Union Cabinet has approved the procurement of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of Rs. 6,828.36 crore. The aircraft will be delivered over a six-year period.
- The aircraft will address the IAF’s shortfall of basic trainer aircraft for training newly recruited pilots.
- The procurement will include supplementary equipment and simulators for training.
About HTT-40
i.The HTT-40 is a turboprop aircraft with improved training capabilities and superior low-speed handling qualities.
ii.The HTT-40 is a fully aerobatic tandem-seat turbo trainer with air conditioning, modern avionics, running changeover, hot refuelling, and zero-zero ejection seats.
iii.The HTT-40 has about 56% indigenous content, which will gradually expand to more than 60% through indigenization of key components and subsystems.
- As an indigenous solution, the aircraft is customizable to meet the future needs of the Indian Military Forces.
iv.HAL intends to involve Indian private industry, especially Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), in its supply chain.
v.The procurement can result in the direct employment of about 1,500 people and indirect employment of up to 3,000 people across more than 100 MSMEs.
Union Cabinet Approves Contract Signing with L&T for 3 Cadet Training Ships, Worth Rs. 3,108.09 Crore, Under Buy (Indian-IDDM) Category
The Union Cabinet has given its assent to the signing of a contract with Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) for the acquisition of three Cadet Training Ships for Rs. 3,108.09 crore under the “Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured)” category.
- The ships will be designed, developed, and built indigenously in India at the L&T shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- The delivery of ships is anticipated to commence in 2026.
Buy (Indian-IDDM) Category
The “buy (Indian-IDDM) category” refers to the procurement of products from an Indian manufacturer that are indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured.
These products must have a minimum of 50% indigenous content (IC) based on cost to value.
Significance
i.These ships will train officer cadets, including women, at sea to fulfil the Indian Navy’s future needs.
ii.Also, the ships would train cadets from friendly nations in an effort to improve diplomatic relationships.
iii.The ships can also be used for people evacuation and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
Key Points:
i,The project will create 22.5 lakh man-days of employment, during the period of four and a half years.
ii.The project will promote active involvement from Indian shipbuilding and related sectors, particularly MSMEs.
iii.These vessels will represent “Atmanirbhar Bharat” in line with the “Make in India” programme, with the majority of the equipment and systems coming from domestic manufacturers.
Recent Related News:
i.In January 2023, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) signed an agreement with the Norway-based H2Carrier (H2C) to develop floating green ammonia projects for industrial-scale applications.
ii.Under the MoU, L&T and H2C will become a partner for Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation and Commissioning (EPCIC) of the topsides for H2C’s floating process plants.
About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) (additional charge) – C.B. Ananthakrishnan
Established – 1940
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
