India is swiftly moving towards inking another major deal for training aircraft to teach rookie pilots the intricacies of combat flying before it stitches up the over $10.4 billion (Rs 42,000 crore) project to acquire 126 top-notch fighters.
The Rs 2,900 crore deal for acquiring 75 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 turbo basic trainers is in the final stages now, with the “note” prepared for the Cabinet Committee on Security being “vetted” by the finance ministry at present, say defence ministry sources.
“While the contract for 126 MMRCA ( medium multi-role combat aircraft) is likely to be inked only by January-February, the trainer deal will be signed this year itself,” said a source.
Though the Pilatus trainer had emerged the cheapest among other contenders like American Hawker-Beechcraft’s T-6C Texan-II and Korean Aerospace’s KT-1 after flight trials, it was dogged by some allegations of irregularities in the procurement process. But MoD has dismissed them, holding the negotiations were completed with the Swiss company based on “its absolutely valid commercial offer”.
IAF has long felt the need to modernize its trainer fleet, with young pilots grappling with 114 ageing piston-engined HPT-32s and 137 Kiran-I & II aircraft to learn the inherently-dangerous art of combat flying in supersonic jets. Almost 40% of the over 1,000 crashes recorded in IAF since 1970 have been attributed to “human error (air crew)”.
The need for new aircraft is especially urgent since the HPT-32s, which for long served as the basic trainers for its rookie pilots, have been grounded since August 2009 after one of the aircraft crashed due to engine failure.
IAF, of course, is also progressively inducting British Hawk AJTs (advanced jet trainers), 123 of which were ordered in two contracts inked in March 2004 and July 2010 for a total of around Rs 16,000 crore, but they are meant for advanced combat training.
The Pilatus trainers will replace the HPT-32s to provide initial training to rookie pilots. The eventual requirement for the basic trainers could well touch 200, with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) making a bulk of them. The defence PSU is also developing the HJT-36 Sitara to replace the Kirans for intermediate-level training.
