The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval for the procurement of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) at a cost of ₹6,828.36 crore for which the contract was concluded between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at the Def Expo last October, as well as acquisition of three Cadet Training Ships from Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) at a cost of ₹3,108.09 crore.
The Union Cabinet has accorded approval to sign a contract with L&T for acquisition of three Cadet Training Ships at an overall cost of ₹3,108.09 crore under the Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category of procurement procedure, a Defence Ministry statement said. The delivery of the ships is scheduled to commence from 2026, it stated.
“These ships will cater to the training of officer cadets, including women, at sea after their basic training to meet the future requirements of the Indian Navy. The ships would also provide training to cadets from friendly countries with the aim to strengthen diplomatic relations,” the statement said. They can also be deployed for the evacuation of people and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The ships will be indigenously designed, developed and constructed at L&T’s shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai. The project will generate employment of 22.5 lakh man-days over a period of four-and-half years. This will encourage active participation of Indian shipbuilding and associated industries, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). With the majority of the equipment and systems sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these vessels will be a proud flag bearer of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in consonance with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government.
On the HTT-40 trainers developed and manufactured by HAL, the Ministry said they will be supplied over a period of six years. Adding that the aircraft will meet IAF’s shortage of basic trainer aircraft for newly inducted pilots, the statement said the procurement will include associated equipment and training aids, including simulators.
The HTT-40 contains approximately 56% indigenous content expected to progressively increase to over 60% through indigenisation of major components and subsystems, the Ministry said. The procurement has the potential to provide direct employment to approximately 1,500 personnel and indirect employment for up to 3,000 people spread over more than 100 MSMEs, it added.
