HAL HLFT-42
| Hindustan Lead in Fighter Trainer-42 | |
|---|---|
| HLFT-42 scale model displayed at Aero India (2023) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Lead-in Fighter Trainer / Light Combat Aircraft |
| National origin | India |
| Designer | Aircraft Research and Design Centre (HAL) |
| Status | Under development |
| Primary user | Indian Air Force (Intended) |
The HAL HLFT-42 (Hindustan Lead-in Fighter Trainer – 42) is a design for an Indian lead-in fighter trainer proposed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed as a next-generation supersonic trainer jet, it is planned to serve as an advanced trainer for upcoming HAL Tejas Mk2 and HAL AMCA fighter jets. Notably, the HLFT-42 will also be used as a fully-fledged fighter jet to perform combat missions. HAL unveiled the design of the scale model of the HLFT-42 at the 14th edition of Aero India (2023), which was held in Bangalore.
The Indian Air Force has expressed its intent to use the HLFT-42 in the future to replace the existing BAE Hawk 132 jet trainers.