Honeywell To Provide Engines for HAL-Made Indian Training Aircraft

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has chosen Honeywell’s TPE331-12B turboprop engine for its HTT-40 military training aircraft for the Indian air force.

The HTT-40 program’s future had been uncertain, because the Indian air force opposed the purchase of HAL-made trainers. And earlier this year, India opted to buy 38 PC-7 Mk.2 trainers from Pilatus to meet its requirement for 181 Stage 1 basic trainer aircraft.

But in an example of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative, defense acquisition officials rescued the HTT-40 from the dead. They insisted the air force buy enough HTT-40 aircraft from HAL to make the project commercially viable.

“Our TPE331-12B is one of the most widely used and capable turboprop engines in servicetoday,” said Arijit Ghosh, president, Honeywell Aerospace India. “With our engine at its core, HAL’s new, locally developed HTT-40 will offer pilots rapid acceleration, low fuel consumption, improved reliability and the ability to train for a wide range of missions.”

As of March, the HTT-40 prototype was scheduled to make its first flight in June.

The win is part of a trend for ongoing growth in international sales for Honeywell. The company has seen its international defense business share grow to 30% and expects to see even more international sales in the future.