HAL HJT-16 Kiran

The HAL HJT-16 Kiran is a two-seat intermediate jet trainer designed and built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force, which uses it for the stage of pilot training that follows basic trainers. Its design was closely modelled on the British BAC Jet Provost and it is powered by a Rolls-Royce Viper 11 turbojet. The prototype first flew on 4 September 1964 and mass production followed. In the 1980s the Air Force bought Kiran Mk II aircraft with a more powerful engine and more hardpoints, and the Indian Navy also flies the type. The last Kiran was completed in 1989 when the line closed, after which it served for more than fifty years, with retirement planned by 2027. The HJT-36 Yashas is its intended successor.