Public-sector aerospace and defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has inaugurated indigenous Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) HTT-40 in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. He highlighted that the role of private players and medium and small enterprises (MSMEs) has been significant in producing the parts for HTT-40 and said the Indian Air Force (IAF) is feeling positive with all these developments.

Parrikar said commercial production of the trainer aircraft can generate nearly Rs 3,000-4,000 crore. While the IAF will procure 70 HTT-40, it may also go up to 200, based on demand. It only took one year for the company to fly the first prototype after launching the detailed design of the aircraft by earmarking internal resources only in August 2013 and completing the detailed design phase by May 2015.

Digital Mock Up (DMU), real time systems clash analysis, laser tracking of assembly jigs, six degree of freedom, mathematical model and complete glass cockpit are among the many first initiatives of the project. According to HAL, HTT-40 has been designed to meet the current requirement of the IAF with the provision for role expansion to attach weapons to the trainer aircraft.