Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed India's growing self-reliance in aerospace as HAL handed over indigenously made Dhruv-NG helicopters, LCA FOC Trainers, and HTT-40 Basic Trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force and Pawan Hans Limited.

Asserting that India is rapidly moving towards self-reliance through indigenous defence manufacturing, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that the country is witnessing a major milestone in its aerospace capabilities and technological self-confidence. Singh was addressing a ceremony marking the handover of indigenously manufactured aircraft and helicopters by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Pawan Hans Limited (PHL).

Speaking at the event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Today, we are witnessing three important achievements together. First, the indigenously designed and developed Dhruv-Next Generation Civil helicopter is being handed over after being granted Type Certification by the DGCA. Second, the final batch of the LCA Final Operational Clearance, that is, FOC Trainer, is being handed over to the Indian Air Force. And third, today we are handing over the first aircraft of the HTT-40 Basic Trainer series production to the Indian Air Force. On this occasion, I congratulate all of you."

Emphasising that the event was not just a routine handover, Singh added, "Today's day is not merely a formal handing-over ceremony. It is an important milestone in the direction of our progress towards India's indigenous aerospace capability, technological self-confidence and self-reliance."

A Shift Towards Self-Reliance

Recalling the past reliance on foreign nations, the Defence Minister noted, "If I talk about nearly a decade ago, projects in the defence sector were being carried out at a very slow pace. We used to be dependent on imports for most things, whether in the sense of technology or in the sense of products... After that, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, we began working with the core mantra of self-reliance."

Call for an Integrated Aerospace Ecosystem

Highlighting the need for a unified aerospace sector, Singh stated, "The development of a strong aerospace industry should not be limited to merely fulfilling defence requirements. We need to develop such an ecosystem that can effectively address the requirements of both civil and military aviation sectors... Therefore, we need to build such an integrated aerospace ecosystem that is self-reliant in every sector."

Praising indigenous military advancements, he said, "The second important milestone of today is the handing over of the last batch of LCA FOC Trainer to the Indian Air Force. If Dhruv-NG is an example of our indigenous civil aerospace capability, then LCA FOC Trainer is a symbol of India's indigenous military aerospace capability and the maturity of the fighter aircraft ecosystem."

A Challenge to Innovate for Global Leadership

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh challenged the nation's scientific and engineering community to pioneer cutting-edge technologies and position India as a global leader in aerospace. He said, "Today I want to challenge our young scientists, engineers, designers, test pilots and technicians: 'To create technologies that do not exist today.' You have to develop such capabilities which will give India a leading position in the global aerospace technology landscape in the coming decade."

Public-Private Synergy

Highlighting the importance of synergy between different sectors, Singh emphasised moving past traditional divisions, stating, "Now is the time that we do not see public versus private as a competition, but rather see the public and private sectors as complementary to each other."

Indigenous Production: A Modern Warfare Necessity

Later, the Minister also stressed the importance of indigenous production in modern warfare, stating, "Developing such things indigenously is the need of the hour for India. Because today the nature of warfare is rapidly changing. In the future, air operations will be information-intensive and technology-driven."

HTT-40: Indigenous Success and Export Potential

Commending HAL's contribution, the Defence Minister said, "Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has indigenously constructed the HTT-40, and its first aircraft for series production has also been handed over to the IAF today... And most importantly, our dependence on foreign countries in this matter will now come to an end. And in the case of the HTT-40, another good thing is that, on the strength of its features, this aircraft also holds possibilities for export."

Details of the Handover

The handover included two LCA FOC Trainer aircraft to the IAF, completing Twin Seater deliveries under the Final Operational Clearance contract; four Dhruv NG helicopters to PHL; and HTT-40 Basic Trainer aircraft to the IAF, marking the start of deliveries under the 70-aircraft contract. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)