Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on November 14 flew a one-hour tandem sortie in HAL's under development HTT-40 basic trainer in a very visible show of support for the aircraft.

This marks an epic turnaround in the IAF's position from the one it took in 2013 under the its then Chief NAK Browne that the aircraft was not required. Air Chief Marshal Browne made a strong case for sticking to the Pilatus PC-7 import, which the IAF opted for in 2012 when it ordered 75 of these Swiss-made aircraft to perform the role of the Stage-1 trainer for introducing rookie pilots to flying.

Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria is the first serving Chief of the IAF to fly in a development prototype. Having been closely associated with indigenous efforts, he is widely respected in India's aeronautical complex.

This marks an epic turnaround in the IAF's position from the one it took in 2013 under the its then Chief NAK Browne that the aircraft was not required. Air Chief Marshal Browne made a strong case for sticking to the Pilatus PC-7 import, which the IAF opted for in 2012 when it ordered 75 of these Swiss-made aircraft to perform the role of the Stage-1 trainer for introducing rookie pilots to flying.

"The HTT 40 has completed all major test points and meets the Preliminary Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) issued by Air Headquarters for the BTA programme. HTT-40 has successfully completed stalls, engine relights, inverted flying, acrobatic flying and systems testing. The Basic Operational clearance and user evaluation trials readiness is expected soon," HAL declared in a statement.

HAL claimed a strong endorsement from the IAF Chief after he was flown tandem by the aircraft manufacturer's chief test pilot (FW), Group Captain KK Venugopal (Retired). "During the sortie he assessed the aircraft flying characteristics including stall and spin. The aircraft took to the skies at 1320 hours and remained airborne for an hour," the statement elaborated.

"He expressed his satisfaction with the aircraft performance and appreciated the design, project and flight test teams for having achieved the commendable progress. The project now needs to be speeded up for certification and HAL must target setting of modern manufacturing facilities with high production rate from the beginning, he added," according to the statement.

"The HTT 40 has completed all major test points and meets the Preliminary Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) issued by Air Headquarters for the BTA programme. HTT-40 has successfully completed stalls, engine relights, inverted flying, acrobatic flying and systems testing. The Basic Operational clearance and user evaluation trials readiness is expected soon," HAL declared in a statement.

HAL started suo moto development of the HTT-40 in 2013. It is since stated to have invested 550 Crore in the development process. The Ministry of Defence has committed to buying 70 of these trainers. With a ban on Pilatus following allegations of corruption into the 2,900 Crore deal in 2012, HAL is also looking at appropriating the import requirement of 36 aircraft.

While there's a big emphasis on supporting indigenous effort, there's a major concern in the IAF over delays by HAL. The IAF is under pressure on its training requirements as the HTT-40 is reported to be running at least five years behind schedule and the State-2 Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) programme has failed.

IAF sources suggest certification for the HTT-40 is not expected before 2021. While flight trials by the IAF on a basic trainer should be quick, the procurement process leading up to a contract is long and treacherous.