US engine maker Honeywell has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) of $100 million for 88 engines to power the indigenous Hindustan Turbo Trainer 40 (HTT-40), on which Army, Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) in which pilots will learn to fly the first time.

“HAL signed a contract worth over $100 million for supply and manufacture of 88 TPE331-12B engines/kits along with maintenance and support services to power the HTT-40,” stated a Ministry of Defence (MoD) press announcement on Wednesday.

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“HAL has successfully developed Basic Trainer Aircraft (HTT-40) to address the basic training requirements of the IAF. There is a potential requirement of 70 aircraft. The contract with IAF is under advanced approval,” said R Madhavan, HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director.

HAL has proven a point against a sceptical IAF in which HTT-40 has blocked the development funding and demanded that the expensive Pilatus PC-7 Mark-II Swiss trainer be imported and the HTT-40 programme scuttled.

“There is no need for [the HTT-40 trainer],” IAF boss Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said dismissively at the Aero India show in February 2013.

“We have the Pilatus PC-7. It’s a proven aircraft. The project HAL plan is from scratch. We indicate that the cost will be too high. There is no need for all this.”