The aircraft and helicopters were handed over in Bengaluru in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.
According to officials, the contract between the Ministry of Defence and HAL was signed in December 2010 under the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) arrangement for the supply of 20 Tejas aircraft. The order comprised 16 single-seat fighter aircraft and four two-seat trainer aircraft.
All 16 fighter aircraft and two of the trainer aircraft had already been delivered. The handover of the final two two-seat Tejas trainers completed the contracted supply of 20 aircraft to the Indian Air Force.
Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that indigenously developed technologies are the need of the hour in view of the changing nature of warfare. Emphasising the need for cutting-edge innovation, Singh urged scientists and engineers to develop technologies capable of meeting the defence requirements of the future.
The HTT-40, or Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40, is an indigenously designed and developed trainer aircraft prepared to meet the initial training requirements of India's defence services.
According to a statement issued by HAL, the LCA FOC trainer aircraft is a lightweight, all-weather, multi-role 4.5-generation aircraft designed primarily to meet the training requirements of the Indian Air Force.
The statement said these technologies have enabled India to develop and operate an advanced two-seat fighter aircraft capability.
Rajnath Singh also said that the country should develop a system capable of meeting the requirements of both civil and military aviation. He stressed that the public and private sectors should not be viewed as rivals but as complementary organisations.
“We should not see the public and private sectors as rivals,” Singh said.
The Defence Minister again stressed the need for cutting-edge innovation and called on scientists and engineers to develop technologies that can address the defence requirements of the future. The delivery of the final Tejas trainers, the start of the HTT-40 supply contract and the handover of four Dhruv NG helicopters marked a significant set of aircraft deliveries by HAL in Bengaluru.
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