The new plant for the MK-1As will enable HAL to advance the deliveries of the 83 such fighters ordered by IAF for Rs 48,000 crore in February 2021 by at least a year, HAL chief CB Ananthakrishnan said.

HAL has a capacity to build 16 Tejas MK-1As every year in Bangalore, and the Nashik line will help the firm ramp up production to a total of 24 jets.

The first MK-1A will be delivered to IAF in February 2024, and the last of the 83 jets by 2028 (instead of 2029, the contracted delivery schedule), Ananthakrishnan said. Timely delivery is a top priority for IAF, which is grappling with a shortage of fighter squadrons.

The aircraft manufacturing division at Nashik, set up in 1964, has produced MiG variants and Su-30s under licence. The new MK-1A production line is being set up fast to begin deliveries from Nashik.

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This was the 12th edition of the event that was organised on the theme ‘Path to Pride’.

While addressing the event, PM Modi said, “Def Expo 2022 is displaying a grand picture of the New India, the resolution for which was taken by us during Amrit Kaal. It has the nation’s development, states’ participation, youth power, young dreams, young courage & youth’s capabilities.”

“Defence Expo used to be held in our country earlier too but Def Expo 2022 is unprecedented. It’s the symbol of a new beginning. It’s the first such Defence Expo in the country where only Indian companies are participating, where there are only Made in India defence equipment, he further added.

I’m delighted that when India is giving shape to these opportunities of the future, 53 African nations that are friends of India are standing shoulder to shoulder with us, the prime minister added.

He further said that biggest Defence Expo of the country so far has marked an emphatic beginning of a new future.

During the programme, Prime Minister also launched Mission DefSpace – to develop innovative solutions for the Defence Forces in the Space domain through industry and startups. At the inauguration ceremony, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of 52 Wing Air Force Station Deesa.

At the India Pavilion, Prime Minister unveiled HTT-40 – the indigenous trainer aircraft designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

451 partnerships in terms of MoUs, Transfer of Technology agreements and product launches, almost double than the last edition, were expected during the Bandhan ceremony on October 20.

The India Pavilion – a marque pavilion of the Department of Defence Production – was showcasing the maturity of indigenous defence products, start-ups and the latest technology, including Artificial Intelligence in defence, while presenting India’s vision for 2047.

In addition, there was an exclusive Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) Pavilion to showcase the prowess of the country’s start-ups carrying out R&D and innovation in futuristic technologies.

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The HTT 40, a project that was funded by HAL through its own internal funds after the IAF had initially refused to take part, is now seen by the force as a game changer. The successful implementation of the project in record time is a big relief for the IAF.

The IAF pilots go through three stages of training using three different kinds of aircraft before they move on to fighters. The new aircraft will be part of the first stage of training for the IAF pilots – basic training – and will eventually replace the Swiss-made Pilatus aircraft bought in 2012.

The all-metal aircraft, which is powered by Honeywell engines, has about 55 per cent indigenous content. The actual cost is less than Rs 50 crore a piece but at a price tag of Rs 90 crores, the extra cost is towards the spares, training and infrastructure costs besides other expenses.

The HTT-40 has features like running changeover of pilots, hot-refueling, zero-zero ejection seats, multi-function displays, night flying capabilities and a range of 1,000 km with a top speed of 450 kmph.

All the tests required for certification were completed in six years from the first flight that took place in May 2016. In November 2019, former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria had flown in the HTT-40 during which he reviewed its flying characteristics including the six-spin routine.

The Pilatus Saga

Till the IAF decided to go in for the Pilatus aircraft, a deal which is mired in controversy over allegations of kickbacks, the IAF pilots used to do their first stage of training on board HAL manufactured Hindustan Piston Trainer-32 (HPT-32).

The aircraft was grounded in 2009 following several crashes and engine failures. That is when the IAF went in for the Pilatus deal for 75 aircraft.

In its 2019 report, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) was critical of the Rs 2,895.63 crore deal, saying that incorrect price calculations had worked in the firm’s favour.

The audit report said that the Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft got the deal despite failing to commit to transfer of technology for maintenance, and was allowed to tweak its offer at a later stage for an advantage over competitors. The firm also did not offer a seamless supply of spares, it added.

The 2012 deal has been under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since it was flagged by the defence ministry while it was under Manohar Parrikar. However, in January 2016, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of 38 PC-7 Mk-II trainers from the Swiss company after a strong pitch from the IAF.

The government then cancelled the proposed deal for additional Pilatus aircraft in 2019, after the HTT-40 cleared crucial trials. However, suspension of business with Pilatus affected the maintenance of the existing fleet since spare parts were unavailable.

Next up – Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT)

The next step for the IAF is the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) which will replace the ageing Kiran aircraft used for Stage 2 of training. Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 of training last for six months each before the pilots move onto the next stage which is for about one year on board the Hawk jets.

Because of the depleting number of trainers, the IAF was forced to use limited numbers of Kiran and even Pilatus for Stage 2 of training.

It was in January 2022 that the IAF pilots successfully demonstrated the IJT’s capability to carry out six turn spins to the Left Hand and Right Hand sides.

Though the IJT had completed demonstration of its capabilities in terms of altitude and speed envelope, load factor, satisfactory stall characteristics and limited armament capability as required by the IAF much earlier, successful spin test was pending.

During spin testing in 2016, the aircraft departed from controlled flight which brought the programme to a temporary halt. HAL then decided to proceed further using its internal resources to complete the critical spin testing.

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“HAL has successfully developed the basic trainer aircraft (HTT-40) to address the training requirements of IAF. There is a potential requirement of 70 aircraft. The contract with IAF for the same is in an advanced stage of approval,” chairman R Madhavan said.

The central government has imposed a phased ban on the import of 310 different types of weapons and systems to boost self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector, and basic trainers feature on that list.

Rookie pilots in the IAF go through a three-stage training process involving the Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainers, Surya Kiran trainers and finally the British-origin Hawk advanced jet trainers before they can fly fighter jets.

In August 2020, the defence ministry gave a go-ahead for the purchase of indigenous basic trainer aircraft for IAF to provide a push to the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) vision.

The defence acquisition council (DAC) accorded its acceptance of necessity (AoN) to buy 106 HTT-40 aircraft from HAL. Under India’s defence procurement rules, an AoN by the council is the first step towards buying military hardware. The IAF plans to order the basic trainers in two batches – 70 and 36, the officials said.

The HTT-40 aircraft has undergone a string of elaborate tests at HAL to demonstrate that it is safe for rookie pilots and meets the IAF’s exacting standards for trainer planes.

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“HAL has successfully developed the basic trainer aircraft (HTT-40) to address the training requirements of IAF. There is a potential requirement of 70 aircraft. The contract with IAF for the same is in an advanced stage of approval,” chairman R Madhavan said.

The central government has imposed a phased ban on the import of 310 different types of weapons and systems to boost self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector, and basic trainers feature on that list.

Rookie pilots in the IAF go through a three-stage training process involving the Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainers, Surya Kiran trainers and finally the British-origin Hawk advanced jet trainers before they can fly fighter jets.

In August 2020, the defence ministry gave a go-ahead for the purchase of indigenous basic trainer aircraft for IAF to provide a push to the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) vision.

The defence acquisition council (DAC) accorded its acceptance of necessity (AoN) to buy 106 HTT-40 aircraft from HAL. Under India’s defence procurement rules, an AoN by the council is the first step towards buying military hardware. The IAF plans to order the basic trainers in two batches – 70 and 36, the officials said.

The HTT-40 aircraft has undergone a string of elaborate tests at HAL to demonstrate that it is safe for rookie pilots and meets the IAF’s exacting standards for trainer planes.

The post HAL signs $100-mn contract with US firm for trainer aircraft engines appeared first on IMR.

The aircraft was piloted by Gp Capt (retd) HV Thakur and Gp Capt (retd) A Menon. HAL CMD R Madhavan said: “Given the right resources and backing, HAL is capable of designing products that can meet any requirement of Indian armed forces.”

Mr Arup Chatterjee, director (engineering and R&D) added that by demonstrating its capability to have six turn spins on both sides the IJT has achieved a major milestone. “The success can be attributed to the synergy between designers, flight operations and certifying agencies,” he said, adding that with the completion of spin certification of HTT-40 and the progress achieved in IJT, HAL will soon have the state-of-the-art trainers for stage I and II training of IAF pilots.

The IJT, which was conceived by HAL as a replacement to the ageing Kirans of IAF fleet, had completed demonstration of its capabilities in terms of altitude and speed envelope, load factor, satisfactory stall characteristics and limited armament capability as required by IAF, earlier.

“…The only pending task was spin testing. During the course of spin testing, in 2016, the aircraft departed from a controlled flight which brought the programme to a temporary halt. However, HAL decided to proceed further using its internal resources to complete the critical Spin testing,” HAL said in a statement.

The PSU added that the capability to enter and recover from spin is a necessity for a trainer aircraft in order to familiarise the trainee pilot to recognise departure from controlled flight and the actions required to recover from such situations.

“Achieving satisfactory characteristics during spin and an assured recovery from spin form a part of very crucial flight tests due to its unpredictability. The spin flight testing is inherently a high-risk maneuver and therefore progresses incrementally turn by turn. Due to the complex interplay of aerodynamic and inertia forces, the motion of the aircraft in spin is unpredictable and flight testing is the only way to assess the acceptability or otherwise of its characteristics,” HAL added.

Pointing out that spin flights are carried out in good weather conditions with a team of designers, flight test engineers and safety pilots monitoring various parameters during the flight, HAL said, it was, therefore, time-consuming.

“Several flight tests are required to be carried out before six-turn spin flights are undertaken as well as a number of flights are further required before full spin certification is achieved,” it added.

Subsequent to the temporary halting of flight tests in 2016, HAL undertook major modifications like shifting the vertical tail aft on the airframe and increasing the rudder area and flight testing resumed in April 2019.

These modifications entailed the use of a new Anti-Spin Parachute system (ASPS) which is mandated for the safety of the aircraft and test crew during spin flight testing. The new ASPS was integrated into the aircraft in July 2020 and the successful streaming of the parachutes were demonstrated in September 2020. HAL commenced the stall and spin testing of the IJT in its new modified configuration in November 2020.

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HAL has successfully developed BTA HTT-40 prototypes and certification process was underway. Initially post certification 70 Basic Trainer Aircraft will be procured and the balance 36 after operationalisation of HTT-40 fleet in IAF.

Spin Tests

This trainer has been designed and developed by HAL and is a basic fixed-wing aircraft. It will be equipped with Honeywell turboprop engine TPE-331-12B. In a span of five years, the HTT-40 has so far completed all the major spin tests.

In flight-testing, on 7 September 2019, in Bengaluru, HAL’s test pilots threw the HTT-40 into multiple spins and, each time, the trainer returned to level flight smoothly. In so doing, the HTT-40 cleared the so-called “six-turn spin test”, regarded as the ultimate and most difficult test for a trainer aircraft.

The HTT-40 has already met and, in many aspects of flight performance, surpassed the so-called “Air Staff Qualitative Requirements” (ASQRs), which lists out the flight performance — speed, turn, ceiling, etc. — that the IAF demands from an aircraft.

In November 2019, the chief of the IAF Air Chief Mshl RKS Bhadauria had taken the second prototype of HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft (TSR002) for a spin. In the flight which had lasted for almost one hour, the chief, who was accompanied by the HAL’s chief test pilot Gp Capt (Retd) KK Venugopal had assessed not only the stall and spin but also other flying characteristics of the aircraft.

ALSO READ IAF MODERNISATION: Tata Power SED to Modernise 37 Airfields

Earlier Opposition

Since 2012, the IAF had consistently opposed the HTT-40, first pressuring the MoD into importing 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mark II basic trainers from Switzerland, and then demanding more imports because HAL would allegedly never be able to steer the HTT-40 through all its tests.

“There is no need for [the HTT-40 trainer]”, then IAF boss, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, had dismissively stated at the Aero India show in 2013. “We have the Pilatus PC-7. It’s a proven aircraft. The project HAL plans is from scratch. Our indications are that the cost will be too high. There is no need for all this.” Each successive IAF chief followed the same line, criticizing the HTT-40, while demanding more Pilatus imports.

Successive HAL chiefs backed the HTT-40, committing Rs 350 crore of internal HAL funds to the project.

Pilatus Barred

The defence ministry in July 2019 suspended business dealings with Swiss plane maker Pilatus Aircraft Limited for one year for violation of a pre-contract integrity pact in a Rs 2,900-crore contract for 75 basic trainers, and also factoring in Indian investigations against the plane maker for alleged corruption and irregularities. The contract with Pilatus included a clause for follow-on purchase of 38 more planes.

Training Stages

Rookie pilots in IAF go through a three-stage training involving the Pilatus PC-7 MkII planes, Kiran trainers and finally the Hawk advanced jet trainers before they can fly fighter jets. As the Kirans are approaching the end of their service life, some amount of Stage 2 training is being done on the PC-7.

ALSO READ IAF MODERNISATION: Arming to be Ready

About HTT-40

HTT-40 is a new basic training aircraft being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The new aircraft will replace the ageing fleet of HAL HPT-32 Deepak trainers that are in service with the IAF.

The aircraft will be primarily used for basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying and close-formation flights, whereas its secondary roles will include navigation and night-flying.

The first prototype of HTT-40 Trainer was rolled out from the Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) hangar, in February 2016.

The HTT-40 trainer made its first flight in May 2016.

The HTT-40 is a fixed-wing aircraft incorporating an all-metal airframe design. It features a bubble canopy, T-tail configuration and a retractable tricycle landing gear system with a steerable nose wheel.

The HTT-40 project was conceptualised by HAL to fulfil the IAF’s requirement of 181 trainer aircraft. Due to the HTT-40’s development delays, the air force placed an order in May 2012 for 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk II turboprop trainers to meet its urgent operational requirements.

The MoD chose to procure 38 Pilatus trainers to replace its old trainer aircraft fleet in February 2015, while the remaining 68 aircraft will be sourced from HAL.

HAL completed works on ground test air-frame and also produced several air-frame structures for the first aircraft by mid-2015. The aircraft is projected to enter production by 2018. The serial production will start at HAL’s transport aircraft division (TAD) in Kanpur, India.

The air-conditioned, glass cockpit accommodates two crew, including an instructor and trainee in tandem seating configuration with zero-zero ejection seats. It integrates multi-function displays, and modern navigation and communication systems.

In June 2015, Honeywell was selected by HAL to supply the TPE331-12B turboprop engines for the high-performance HTT-40 military trainer aircraft. The TPE331-12B turboprop engine, equipped with full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) system, develops a maximum power output of 950 shaft horsepower (shp).

It is one of the most widely-employed turboprop power-plants in operation. It enables the HTT-40 to offer users quick acceleration, low-fuel consumption, high-reliability and the flexibility to conduct a range of training missions. The reliable turboprop engine also allows HAL to develop a range of variants that will deliver increased levels of performance.

Honeywell has delivered more than 13,000 TPE331 engines to both military and civil operators worldwide. The fleet of TPE331 engines accumulated more than 122 million flight hours to date. The engines power a range of aircraft, including light aircraft and advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The HTT-40 trainer offers the best-in-class fuel economy and power rating. It takes-off from a short distance and has a high rate of climb. It has a maximum speed of 450km/h and can reach a maximum distance of 1,000km. The stall speed with flaps down is 135km/h.

The certified operational ceiling of the trainer is 6,000m, the ‘G’ limits are +6/-3 and airborne endurance is three hours.

Comments

While it’s a thumbs-up for the design and development of the HTT-40, HAL has to rise to the occasion now and produce them to a time schedule that the IAF wants.

The HTT-40 aircraft has undergone a string of elaborate tests at HAL to demonstrate that it is safe for rookie pilots and meets the IAF’s exacting standards for trainer planes. HAL could begin the production of the trainers by early next year.

HAL has manufactured the IAF’s fleet of Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJT), with technology from BAE Systems. With the HTT-40 poised for final clearance, a breakthrough on the IJT could mean that the IAF’s entire training aircraft fleet comprises of HAL-built aircraft.

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