In a significant advancement for India’s indigenous military aviation sector, CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation and Bharat Electronics Limited have signed a project agreement to jointly develop an indigenous Pilot Display Unit (PDU) for the BAE Systems Hawk Mk132 Advanced Jet Trainer operated by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
The partnership marks another important step in India’s push to reduce reliance on imported aerospace avionics and mission systems under the government’s Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. The project aims to replace imported Head-Up Display (HUD) components currently installed on the Hawk fleet with a domestically developed solution designed around Indian operational requirements.
Under the agreement, CSIR-CSIO’s research and prototype technologies will transition into production-ready systems through BEL’s manufacturing infrastructure, helping establish a domestic supply chain for advanced cockpit display systems.
The new Pilot Display Unit is essentially a compact next-generation Head-Up Display positioned directly within the pilot’s line of sight. The system will project essential flight and mission data onto a transparent display, minimizing the need for pilots to divert attention toward cockpit instrument panels during high-speed operations.
The indigenous PDU will display vital flight information such as airspeed, altitude, angle of attack, artificial horizon references, navigation markers, and takeoff and landing cues. By presenting real-time telemetry directly ahead of the pilot, the system is expected to enhance situational awareness while reducing pilot workload during training and combat-oriented missions.
Replacing imported HUD systems with an indigenous alternative is also expected to lower long-term maintenance and lifecycle costs. Additionally, Indian defence agencies would gain greater flexibility for future software updates, mission system integration, and electronic warfare customization.
One of the most notable features of the new PDU is its dual-mode operational capability. In Raster Mode, the display can project live thermal and infrared video feeds received from targeting or surveillance pods, improving target detection and night operation effectiveness under poor visibility conditions.
The system’s Mixed Mode capability will further combine infrared imagery with flight telemetry, targeting data, weapon aiming cues, and target lock indicators into a single integrated display environment. This effectively transforms the display from a basic flight instrument into a mission-support and combat assistance system, significantly enhancing the Hawk fleet’s operational utility.
The indigenous PDU will also feature an independent backup operating mode designed to preserve access to critical flight data in the event of avionics or mission computer failures. Through a dedicated Stand-by-Sight mode, pilots will continue receiving essential navigation and flight telemetry, enabling safe aircraft recovery during emergency situations.
This redundancy capability is considered especially important for training aircraft, where operational reliability and pilot safety remain critical. The project is also expected to support Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Hawk-i upgrade initiative, which seeks to improve the Hawk platform’s combat training and light attack capabilities using indigenous avionics, sensors, and mission systems.
