HAL HJT-16 Kiran
Summary
| Category | Training aircraft |
| Origin country | 🇮🇳 India |
| First flight | 4 September 1964 |
| Year of introduction | 1968 |
| Number produced | 190 units |
Description
The HAL HJT-16 Kiran is a military aircraft developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in India. It was designed as an intermediate jet trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The Kiran was introduced in the late 1960s and served as a primary trainer for the Indian armed forces for several decades. It featured a conventional low-wing monoplane design with a tandem seating arrangement for the instructor and trainee pilot. The aircraft's solid performance and reliability made it well-suited for pilot training programs. The Kiran had been widely deployed across multiple Indian Air Force and Indian Navy bases.
Technical specifications
| Version: Kiran Mk IA | |
|---|---|
| Wing area | 19 m² (204.5 sqft) |
| Wingspan | 10.7 m (35.1 ft) |
| Height | 3.6 m (11.9 ft) |
| Length | 10.6 m (34.8 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 9144 m (30000 ft) |
| Empty weight | 2560 kg (5644 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 4235 kg (9337 lbs) |
| Powerplant | 1 × turbojet Bristol-Siddeley Viper Mk11 delivering 1134 kgp |
Current operating countries
| Country | Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
India | 98 | |
Numbers in parentheses, e.g. '(+5)', indicate units ordered but not yet delivered.