Bengaluru, Sept 17 (NVI): Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will hand over LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance (FOC) twin-seater trainer aircraft and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force, and Dhruv Next Generation (NG) helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited on Friday, in a ceremony to be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu.
The handover ceremony will be held in Bengaluru on September 18 and is being projected as a significant milestone in India’s efforts to strengthen indigenous aerospace manufacturing capabilities.
The event will showcase the role of HAL and its industry partners in expanding the domestic aerospace ecosystem and developing and manufacturing advanced platforms for both military and civil applications, according to the company.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K, among other senior officials, are expected to attend the event.
Officials from the Defence Ministry, Ministry of Civil Aviation, IAF, Pawan Hans, regulatory agencies and stakeholders from the aerospace and defence sectors will also be present.
The government has been giving priority to indigenous design, development and manufacturing in the aerospace and defence sectors.
The induction and handover of the aircraft and helicopters are part of efforts to strengthen domestic capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign sources.—(NVI)
