Aero India 2023: HAL unveils new-age supersonic trainer for easy shift to top notch Rafale, Sukhoi

New Delhi: The Hindustan Lead-in Fighter Trainer (HLFT-42) aircraft, the design of which has been proposed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is expected to come at half the cost of the Tejas multirole fighter.According to the HAL, the HLFT-42 will be equipped with AESA Radar and weapons. It can be used as a fully combat-capable light fighter trainer aircraft. The design of the HLFT42, a next-generation supersonic jet trainer was unveiled by HAL at the ongoing Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru. This is the 14th edition of Aero India which is the largest show of its kind in Asia and is expected to provide a major boost to the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative of the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or 'Make in India' initiative of the Indian government is intended to boost India's domestic defence manufacturing sector.The Hindustan Lead-in Fighter Trainer (HLFT-42) is also projected to be highly customizable for an export-oriented market. The aircraft is expected to be scalable, interoperable and can be configured according to the requirements of customers.The HLFT-42 will have a metal airframe, which is expected to make it durable, light, and comparatively less costly. However, the absence of composites (mostly carbon-epoxy) is expected to provide added advantages as it will reduce airframe cost by over 30%. This will mean that the aircraft can be priced competitively in the international market.Also Read: China plans railway line to connect Tibet, XinjiangAlthough HAL is yet to reveal the tentative price of this aircraft, the target price point to stay competitive in the global market could see the bare flyaway unit cost of the aircraft to be around $20 million.According to a report by Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW), this price is expected to be for the baseline configuration of the Hindustan Lead-in Fighter Trainer (HLFT-42) since aircraft could be configured with more advance features which will result in an increase in the price.Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.