By N. C. Bipindra

Bengaluru (Karnataka): In a bid to shed the ‘failed product’ negative image, India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has rechristened its Hindustan Jet Trainer-36 (HJT-36) as ‘Yashas‘ after extensive modifications to the aircraft to overcome its ‘spin’ troubles that led to ‘unacceptable’ accidents.

On the first day of the five-day AeroIndia 2025 on Feb. 10, 2025, the HJT-36 was relaunched as ‘Yashas’ by India’s Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, accompanied by HAL Chairman and Managing Director Dr D. K. Sunil.

HJT-36 is the flagship subsonic intermediate jet trainer aircraft, a HAL product for the Indian Air Force (IAF) rookie pilot training. “Hindustan Jet Trainer, HJT-36, is now renamed ‘Yashas’ after extensive modifications to resolve departure characteristics and spin resistance throughout the aircraft envelope,” HAL said in a statement post the renaming event.

“The large-scale changes to the baseline intermediate training platform have led to significant upheaval (sic) in its capabilities and hence provided an opportunity for a new name to be given following the aircraft’s continued relevance as a training system for modern military aviation. In light of this, HJT-36 is named Yashas,” Sunil was quoted as saying.

To be inducted into the IAF service, the aircraft was recently upgraded with state-of-the-art avionics and an ultra-modern cockpit. “These will enhance training effectiveness and operational efficiency, whilst providing weight reduction and overcoming the obsolescence of imported equipment with Indian LRUs (Line Replaceable Units),” the statement said.

Yashas is capable of Stage II pilot training, counter insurgency, and counter surface force operations, armament training, and aerobatics. It is powered by a (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) FADEC-enabled AL55I Jet engine, providing best-in-class thrust-to-weight ratio, optimised thrust management, and reliability.

The Stepped-up Rear cockpit with droop-nose provides excellent all-around Vision and Enhanced situational awareness, with a state-of-the-art Glass Cockpit with MFDs (Multi-Function Displays) and HUD (Heads-Up Display). “The capabilities of HJT-36 are stall and spin, aerobatics, armament carriage up to 1,000 kg, single point ground refueling, and de-fueling.

During its development stage, Yashas prototype PT-1 overshot the runway on Feb. 8, 2007, at the Yelahanka air base here during the AeroIndia inauguration, after its tyres burst during take off. Two years later, on Feb. 4, 2009, the PT-2 had another accident before the AeroIndia after its landing gear failed during a routine test flight.

In 2016, the aircraft “departed from controlled flight” while testing spin characteristics, and it took eight years for those gaps in the HJT-36 to be fixed. In March 2017, the media reported that due to the HJT-36’s “unsolvable” issues associated with critical stall and spin characteristics, the aircraft is not ready to serve as an intermediate jet trainer for IAF pilots.

After help from BAE Systems and independent consultants, the modifications to the Yashas were made, and it flew in its present configurations for the first time in April 2019. A new Anti-Spin Parachute system (ASPS) was developed to ensure aircraft’s safety.

In Jan. 2022, the aircraft successfully demonstrated the capability to carry out six-turn spins to both the left and right-hand sides. The IAF is yet to accept the Yashas in its service. But Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh sat in the aircraft’s cockpit at AeroIndia 2025 and had an animated conversation with the IAF test pilots and HAL officials.

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