Chris Pocock has been covering the defense beat for AIN for over 30&nbsp;years. He is a British citizen and a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Chris worked in the air cargo business for ten years before becoming a full-time writer in 1983. He subsequently edited two air cargo journals before becoming AIN’s Defense Editor. He retired from that position in 2018, but still contributes to the publication. Chris has written extensively on aerial reconnaissance, including four books on the history of the U-2 spyplane. He also lectures on this and other topics related to intelligence-gathering in the Cold War.

Defense Correspondent

Chris Pocock

Hindustan Aeronautics has rolled out the prototype of the HTT-40 basic trainer. HTT stands for Hindustan Turbo Trainer. The project has been under way for some years, and the design was previously rejected by the Indian air force (IAF) in favor of the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II, with delivery of <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2012-05-25/pilatus-confirms-indian-pc-7-trainer-order">75 examples</a> now almost completed, and a follow-on order for 38 placed with the Swiss company.

 


However, the IAF requires a total of 181 basic trainers, and HAL said that the service had issued a task directive in November last year for the design and development of the HTT-40. “The project has managed to steer through the initial headwinds and is now going full throttle,” said T. Suvarna Raju, HAL chairman and managing director. “There are plans to weaponize and optimize the aircraft,” he continued.

 


HAL noted in May last year that the design of the HTT-40 was revised to accommodate the <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2015-06-19/hal-chooses-tpe331-new-indian-basic-trainer">selection of a new engine</a>—the Honeywell TPE331-12B. The company also said that this is the first Indian aircraft to be completely designed and manufactured from a digital mock-up, and also by using laser-tracked jigs at the prototype phase. Of the 90 line-replaceable units (LRUs) on the aircraft, 70 have been sourced from sister divisions of HAL.&nbsp;

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