HAL not keenon bidding forIAF's newtrainer

[Rajendra91]

SOURCE: IDRW

The IAF's long
struggle to
acquire new
aircraft for
rookie pilots has
got a fresh twist,
with Hindustan
Aeronautics
Limited showing
no interest in a
proposal for
licensed
production of the
Swiss basic
trainer Pilatus
PC Mk II, even as
a simultaneous
hunt has been
launched for new
intermediate
jets.
HAL is making
both basic and
advanced
trainers for the
IAF. But an
inordinate delay
in developing the
aircraft has
forced the IAF to
look at other
options.
The IAF's flying
training
programme is
structured in
three stages,
starting from the
basic and moving
to intermediate
and advanced.
The IAF uses
different
aircraft for
every stage. It
recently acquired
Swiss Pilatus PC
Mk II for basic
training but it
continues to use
the outdated
Kirans for
intermediate
stage, while the
advanced
programme is
centered round
the British Hawk
jets.
For the basic
stage, the IAF
has a
requirement of
181 aircraft. It
has ordered 75
Pilatus PC Mk II
and has the
option of buying
38 more Swiss
aircraft while
the rest can be
procured from
HAL, which is
developing the
HTT-40.
With the HTT-40
programme not
making much
headway, the IAF
proposed that it
should get more
of the Swiss
aircraft. It
invited bids from
Indian
companies,
including HAL, to
produce Pilatus.
But sources from
HAL have ruled
out making the
Pilatus when its
own programme
was underway.
Sources said HAL
has already spent
around Rs 100
crore and will go
ahead with its
project.
The aircraft,
however, is
nowhere near its
first flight as
neither the
engine nor the
propeller has
been finalised.
Running out of
time, the IAF has
proposed that
Pilatus should be
built at home.
But an internal
assessment
about the
proposal has not
found many
takers in the
industry in India.
The story of the
intermediate jet
trainer is equally
worrisome. HAL
claimed it has
made some
headway in
correcting design
defects in its
Intermediate Jet
Trainer (IJT)
Sitara. But IAF is
not hopeful the
aircraft will be
available even
by the end of
2015.
It has begun the
process of
hunting for a
new IJT that will
replace the
Kirans, which
were to be
phased out in
2013.