For many years, the Indian Air Force (IAF) operated without a suitable advanced training aircraft, leading to a high casualty rate as pilots moved to high performance aircrafts without suitable assessment of their aptitude for supersonic flight. A large number of crashes in the country over the last 10 years had been due to human error, commonly associated with a lack of sufficient training.
OVERVIEW
IAF has for long been saddled with unsafe, obsolete training aircraft like HPT-32 and Kirans, with new pilots often being unable to handle highly-demanding fighters. Almost 40% of the 1,050 crashes recorded by IAF since 1970 have been attributed to “Human Error” commonly associated with a lack of sufficient training coupled with technical defects caused by the current obsolete machines and shoddy maintenance. The irony is, the intermediate jet trainer (IJT) promised to them by the PSU is still in the making for the last 14 years but yet to become fully-operational. Air Forces worldwide typically conduct training in phases and commonly every pilot has to undergo three stages of training as depicted in the given diagram.
Presently, IAF was making do with about 255 trainers out of the 434 that had entered service (including basic, intermediate and advanced trainers). Currently, the Air Force's training aircraft fleet mainly consists of HJT-16 Kiran aircrafts with the ongoing induction of Swiss Pilatus PC-7 BTA and British Hawk AJTs, but the intermediate one remains a major problem. The existing strength of trainer aircraft is as follows:-
| Aircraft | Year of Induction | No. of Trainers Required | Presently Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC-7 | 2013 | 181 | 53 |
| Kiran | 1973 | 85 | 81* |
| Hawks | 2008 | 106 | 66 |
Source: Parliamentary Standing Committee Report 2012-13
*These have become obsolete and are in the process of being phased out
BASIC TRAINER AIRCRAFT (BTA)
The HAL's HPT-32 Deepak which was the basic trainer aircraft of the IAF has been grounded since July 2009 following series of mishaps and virtually the IAF had no basic trainer aircraft for Stage-I training since then and the basic training was carried out with few of IJT Kiran I made available for this purpose. Indian government finally cleared the purchase of 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II aircraft from the Swiss firm. The deal was inked in May 2012 for $525 million (Rs 2888 crore) with an option clause of additional 38 aircrafts for extending the scope of this contract within three years. The first 75 Pilatus trainers were purchased at Rs 30 crore per aircraft. At that price, the additional order will be worth about Rs 1,250 crore to Pilatus Aircraft Company. As of now, the 53 Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II trainer aircrafts have been inducted and the delivery of all the aircrafts is slated by September 2015. 
As part of this contract, Pilatus will establish in-country depot level maintenance capabilities at HAL, which will allow the IAF to fix the planes in country, instead of having to send them back to Switzerland. The BTA program has also offered significant opportunities to the principal offset beneficiaries of the programme. The key beneficiaries for the programme are expected to be among others, large Indian conglomerates Mahindra & Mahindra, Larsen and Toubro and Tata Group. Mahindra and Mahindra may supply parts of the landing gear and structural assemblies for control surfaces while Tata Technologies (a part of the Tata Group of companies) is expected to provide composite structures.
INTERMEDIATE JET TRAINERS (IJT)
The IAF is critically short of intermediate jet trainers (IJT). At the moment, it uses ageing Kiran Mk-I and Mk II for training its pilots. Kiran Mk-I was due to be phased out this year but its lifespan has been extended by four years and is on a final life extension. On the other hand, the maintenance of Kiran Mk II has become a major issue because no support for its Opheus engine was available. There has been a steady decline at the rate of 2-3 aircrafts every year.
Considering this, HAL in 1999 started with the development of Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) called the 'Sitara' to replace the Kiran Mark-1 for both the Indian Air Force and Navy. The IAF has already given out R&D costs of Rs 600 crore (up from an initial estimate of Rs 180 crore) and have placed an assured order to HAL for 12 prototypes and 73 operational trainers.
Contract for 12 limited series production (LSP) aircraft was signed in March 2006 at a total cost of Rs 486.82 crore. Deliveries were to be completed by March 2010. Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in mid 2010 cleared an additional batch of 73 IJTs for the series production run with AL-55I engine, taking the total order to 85. The value of the order for 73 IJT aircraft with associated spares and equipment was around Rs 6000-6500 crore. The total order is expected to be for around 225 aircrafts eventually. Meanwhile owing to the issues related to the stall and spin characteristics encountered during the development of the trainer, BAE Systems was hired as a design consultant who has recommended that the IJT's tail to be redesigned to address serious stall and spin problems. This is likely to derail the programme. The revised deadline for the project was December 2015 but with this additional work, it is now uncertain when the aircraft would be ready for induction.
ADVANCED JET TRAINERS
The third stage of IAF training is done on HJT-16 Kiran Mk II or Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT). Kiran MK II is expected to be phased out in three or four more years. At present the BAE's Hawk AJT is slowly replacing the obsolete Kiran Mk-II aircraft being used for Stage III training.
This was the first deal that was signed by India with UK's BAE Systems for 66 Hawks 115Y aircrafts in 2004 worth about $1.2 billion (Rs 6600 crore). The deal included options for another 40 aircrafts. The first 24 aircraft were to be built at the BAE Systems' facilities in UK, while the remaining 42 aircraft were to be assembled / manufactured under licence in India through a partnership with HAL in Bangalore. All the aircrafts have been delivered. Further in 2010, the BAE system was awarded a new order for 57 more Adour-powered Hawk 132 AJT aircrafts worth $2 Billion (Rs 11000 cr). It is a “follow on” order. The 57 Adour-powered Hawk 132 AJT aircrafts are to be built under license in India by HAL 40 for the IAF and balance 17 for the Navy for its training purposes. BAE Systems will provide specialist engineering services, the raw materials and equipment necessary for airframe production and the support package for the IAF and Indian Navy end users. All these trainers are slated to be delivered by 2016. The Hawk AJT fast jet training solution will enable IAF and Indian Navy to provide frontline pilots for advanced fighter planes like Sukhoi-30s and Dassault's Rafael. Five Hawk Mk 132 aircraft have been inducted into the Indian Navy as replacement for the Kiran aircraft to meet the training requirements of IN pilots. The Hawk 132' is equipped with advanced and reliable navigation systems and has the capability to deploy an impressive array of weaponry including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground rockets, bombs and guns. It can also carry two extra fuel tanks under the wing, which extends its considerable strike range.
Ongoing Procurement and Market Opportunity
The shortage of trainer aircrafts both for Stage-I and Stage-2 training within IAF & IN coupled with very slow progress in indigenous development of BTR & ITR by HAL, there is a likelihood of a lucrative billion dollar opportunity for foreign as well as for public and private sector companies in the coming years. The on-going and future projected procurements are discussed in the subsequent paragraphs.
BASIC TRAINER AIRCRAFT (BTA)
The remaining requirement of 106 Basic Trainer Aircraft for the IAF's BTA fleet were to be provided by the defence PSU HAL which proposed to build HTT-40 under the “Make Indian” procedure. A proposal for production of 106 indigenous Basic Trainer Aircraft at Design and Development (D&D) cost of Rs. 568.08 crore was approved in June, 2011. Subsequently, HAL requested for revision of the D&D cost from Rs. 568.08 crore to Rs. 659.46 crore, 80 per cent of which is being borne by the IAF. HAL has assured the completion of the HTT-40 project within next three years after which the production will commence. A first flight is slated for early 2015-16. Considering this time schedule, the IAF will be able to train on HTT-40s only after 2022.
However, saddled with the delays encountered in the development of HTT-40 despite assurances from HAL, the IAF in February 2014 came out with a Request for Information (RFI) under “Buy & Make (Indian)” category inviting Indian companies to submit preliminary bids to supply the IAF with 106 PC-7 Mk II trainers, estimated to be worth Rs 8200 crores, in partnership with Pilatus. This envisages the import of an unspecified number of BTAs ready built, with the remainder being assembled in India. One option is to buy 38 Pilatus off-the-shelf, with the rest 68 being produced by the 5 Base Repair Depots (BRD) of IAF at Sulur. Other options could include importing only 10 BTA, with 96 being made in India. However, the Indian private industry has shown little interest in the proposed RFI as there is diminutive value in the proposal for these companies. With each BTA priced at about Rs 35 crore, the 10 per cent profit margin from building 106 aircraft would be barely Rs 370 crore which seems little in comparison to the costs and risks to be undertaken by the company involved.
With the Kiran MK I aircraft being used currently are scheduled to phase out in 2014, which definitely highlights the urgency of procuring BTAs.
BTA
| Order | Year of Order | Worth | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75+38 (Option) Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II | 2012 | $525 Million (Rs 2888 crores)Rs 30-43 crores per aircraft | Buy (Global) | Deliveries have begun with all the aircrafts are slated to be delivered by Sep 2015. |
| HTT-40 | Order yet to be placed | Rs 34.5 crores per aircraft | Buy-Make (India) | Currently under development; the IAF is yet to order these |
INTERMEDIATE JET TRAINERS (IJT)
Seeing the long delays and slow pace of the Sitara programme, the IAF has now decided to scout the international market for options for an IJT and has issued a global RFI in this regard in late Feb 2014 for a lightweight, single-engine, twin-seat 110 intermediate jet trainers (IJTs) with a secondary light attack capability. The RFI has most likely been sent to Russia's Yakovlev; Italy's Alenia Aermacchi; Korea Aerospace Industries; US companies Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Beechcraft; and Sweden's Saab. The vendors have been asked to provide cost details for the direct purchase of IJTs for batch sizes of 10, 20, 30 and 50 aircraft alongside product support proposals. The RFI for a new IJT elucidates that the aircraft should be capable of operating from airfields at least 2000 meters above mean sea level (AMSL), with a goal of 3,000 meters and also capable of carrying at least 1000 kg (2,200 lb.) of external load and be equipped with a minimum of five hard points, with each stressed to carry at least 300 kg. The aircraft should be capable of employing a lightweight gun-pod with adequate ammunition for at least five seconds of firing time and reusable rocket pods, and should be able to carry at least (four 250-kg bombs). The IAF intends to utilise the IJT at a rate of 30 hours per aircraft per month, with a maximum of 300 hours per aircraft per year. One Fixed Base Full Motion Simulator (FBFMS), to be acquired under direct purchase, will also be required. IJT 'Sitara' to replace the Kiran Mark-1 being developed by HAL for both the IAF & IN is also likely to miss its revised deadline for the project due to some serious problems arising during its development.
IJT
| Order | Year of Order | Worth | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 HJT 36 ‘Sitara |
2006 for 12 LSPs 2010 for 73 production series aircraft | Rs 6000-6500 crores | Buy and Make (Indian) | Expected entry into service By 2016-17 |
ADVANCED JET TRAINERS
Over and above the discussed procurements of Hawk trainers for the IAF and IN, India is also seeking 20 more Hawk trainers for IAF's prestigious aerobatic team - Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT) which was disbanded in 2011, due to a shortage of working HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk II jet trainers in the air force. As of Sep 2012, the BAE Systems has received a Request for Proposal (RFP) from HAL to supply 20 more Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) at a cost of about $500 million (Rs 2750 cr). The aircraft is to be built by HAL under technology transfer. At present, the clearance from Defence Ministry is awaited. The 20 Hawk trainers to be built for the aerobatic team will be exactly the same as the other Hawk trainers being built for the air force, except for the addition of smoke pods on the aerobatic models. This 20-trainer order would bring India's Hawk fleet to 143.
However even after these procurements the IAF will still remain short of 49 trainers in this category. With HAL order book already getting swelled up with other contracts and to timely deliveries of these lined up, India is most likely to go for more foreign procurement and the market size of this deal can be expected to be cost more than $1.5 billion.
AJT
| Order | Year of Order | Worth | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66 Hawks 115Y AJT | 2004 | $1.2 Bn (Rs 6600 cr) | Buy-Make | Deliveries from BAE for 24 directly supplied Hawks have been completed while deliveries by HAL for Indian built Hawk to be completed by 2013. |
| 57 Adour-powered Hawk 132 AJT | 2010 | $2 Bn (Rs 11 cr) | Manufactured under license | Deliveries to begin in 2013 and continue till 2016 |
| 20 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) | Order Yet to be Placed | $500 Mm (Rs 2750 cr) | Buy and Make | RFP has been issued by HAL to BAE |
CONCLUSION
A decision was taken by the MoD in 2009 to buy 75 basic trainers from Pilatus under “Buy Global” category, while HAL to build 106 HTT-40 trainers in India to meet the IAF's requirement of 181 aircraft under “Make India” category. Accordingly, 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mark II trainers were bought in May 2012 for Rs 3,727 crore, whereas, HTT-40 is being developed by HAL which is slated to fly next year. However, the IAF has now recommended that the remaining 106 aircrafts to be bought from Pilatus itself as they feel HAL would take long to deliver HTT-40 and this is going to be too expensive vis-à-vis Pilatus. They are also not in favor of operating two different kinds of BTRs, thus implying scrapping of HTT-40 programme being developed by HAL.
Whereas, HAL has pointed out that HTT-40 is not only cheaper than the Pilatus but it will have 70 % indigenous content in line with the “Make in India” thrust, as out of the trainer's total 95 systems, 55 will be Indian design built in India, while 35 systems will be built in India with ToT and Only 5 systems will be built abroad. They also suspect serious service support problems with Pilatus, as the later has asked HAL to negotiate licensing and service agreements with more than 28 separate vendors independently without any of their obligations. Other fact highlighted by them is that PC-7 MkII cannot be weaponised due to end users agreement in contrast to the fact that the HTT-40 can be weaponized for use in fighter role & can also be exported to the allies.
The current crisis in trainer aircraft has been many years in the making, and advanced planning could have averted it while also promoting indigenous capability and self-reliance. However, with the procurement process on and deliveries lined up from 2013, India's training arsenal will get a boost but with almost entirely comprising of foreign trainer aircrafts - the Pilatus PC-7 for basic training and the BAE Hawk Mk.132 for advanced jet training. At this point, it remains unclear what Indian pilot cadets will undergo crucial intermediate training on with Kiran trainers being phased out. Also, note worthily, IAF's requirement of trained Pilots will substantially increase during 2014-2027 to meet expansion needs of IAF combat squadrons and also the vacancies arising from high attrition rates in recent years. The existing maximum capacity of 270 trainees per year (including Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard officers) may not be adequate enough to meet the increased requirement on account of proposed expansion of IAF, new acquisitions and vacancies on account of attrition of Pilots.
Ritika Behal
