Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will begin delivering 'Made-in-India' HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) from 2025, reported Hindustan Times.

Seven months ago, (in March), the Cabinet Committee on Security approved a proposal to purchase 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft from HAL, at a cost of Rs 6,838 crore.

The first aircraft will be delivered to the IAF within 20 months of signing the contract, with the remaining aircraft to follow over a six-year period.

Rookie pilots of the IAF and the Indian Navy will learn to fly on these aircraft in the first stage of their training. In the second and third stages, the pilots are trained on Kiran Mark II jet and Hawk advanced jet, respectively.

According to the Hindustan Times report, twelve HTT-40 aircraft will be delivered by 2025-26, with ten produced by HAL's Nashik assembly line and the remaining two, by the Bengaluru assembly line.

Subsequently, 20 trainers will be delivered annually, with 15 airframes assembled at the Nashik production line.

HAL's, (Engineering, Research and Development) director, DK Sunil stated, "HAL will deliver 12 trainers to IAF in 2025-26. Ten of those will be built at Nasik and the remaining two in Bengaluru. Deliveries will follow at the rate of around 20 every year, with 15 of the aircraft to be built in Nashik."

Furthermore, another order for an additional thirty-five HTT-40 trainers is likely to be signed soon.

The HTT-40s will complement the existing inventory of 75 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 basic trainers in the IAF.