India’s indigenous defence aviation sector has received a major boost with CSIR-CSIO and Bharat Electronics Limited signing an agreement to jointly develop a domestically produced Pilot Display Unit for the Hawk Mk132 trainer aircraft. The project aims to replace imported HUD systems currently used by the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy with an Indian-designed solution tailored for local operational requirements. The new Pilot Display Unit will project important flight and mission information directly into the pilot’s line of sight, improving situational awareness and reducing pilot workload during training and combat-related operations. The display system will integrate critical flight data including altitude, airspeed, navigation markers, angle of attack information, and landing assistance telemetry. A key feature of the new system is its advanced dual-mode display capability. Raster Mode will provide live thermal and infrared video feeds from surveillance and targeting systems, enabling pilots to operate effectively during low-visibility and night-time missions. The Mixed Mode setting will combine flight telemetry, targeting information, infrared imagery, and weapon aiming cues into one integrated display interface. The PDU will also feature a dedicated backup operating mode capable of displaying basic flight and navigation information even during severe avionics failures, helping pilots safely recover the aircraft during emergencies. Apart from improving operational capability, the indigenous system is expected to lower life-cycle support costs, strengthen India’s aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, and support HAL’s Hawk-i modernization program focused on locally developed avionics and mission systems.
