The IAF is on the lookout for appropriate aircraft for pilot training. The first installment of the article in this issue throws light on how difficult it would be for the IAF to choose an aircraft which can meet its requirements in the next three decades.

Pilot training at the Indian Air Force (IAF) Academy and some other training establishments have hit a major roadblock. The HPT-32 Deepak used for primary training has been grounded. The training schedule has been disrupted due to lack of trainer aircraft and the IAF has warned the Ministry of Defence of the impending crisis. Ab initio training carried out on HPT-32 Deepak has been beset with engine problems for almost 15 years, but the proverbial last straw was the crash of an HPT-32 in July 2009 killing two instructors from Air Force Academy Dundigal.

The HJT-16 Kiran has been pressed into action to initiate rookie trainees for ab initio flying training. It is a well-known fact that this is not the ideal trainer aircraft for this role and more importantly adequate number of aircraft is not available to sustain the tempo of long-term training. The recent crash of the Indian Navy Kiran during a formation aerobatic display at Hyderabad has put the aircraft under media glare. The Indian Navy has grounded the Kiran fleet till inquiry establishes the cause of the accident. Flying training at the Air Force Academy cannot be curtailed. Stop gap measures will be evolved and a patchwork solution put in place by the Indian Air Force to tide over the crisis temporarily.

The HPT-32 fitted with the Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 engine has a terrible history of engine problems. Despite the best efforts of the IAF, HAL and Lycoming the reliability of the HPT-32 engine could not be enhanced. The engine has often failed unexpectedly and with catastrophic results. This problem was not unique to the IAF alone. The United States Air Force (USAF) had a similar problem with the Slingsby T-3 Firefly fitted with the same Lycoming engine. After a series of accidents caused by engine failures, the USAF grounded the fleet in July 1997, but the IAF persisted with the HPT-32 till 2009. Surprisingly, the Zlin-50, a fully aerobatic aircraft and some other which had the same engine, did not suffer the ailments of the HPT-32 or the Slingsby T-3. A recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report termed the aircraft as “technologically outdated and beset by flight safety hazards.”

The IAF has been projecting the problems associated with trainer aircraft and the need to induct a modern replacement. These projections were overshadowed by the high visibility multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) requirements and need for heavy lift transport aircraft.

Ashok Nayak, Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, offered the IAF a modern replacement for the HPT-32 two years ago. This would be the Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT-40) to be delivered in six years. Even if the HTT-40 were to be designed and manufactured in collaboration with an established design house, the delivery time is highly optimistic. Its subsequent induction into service would entail more delays. The estimated requirement is about 200 trainer aircraft. Although HAL has the capacity to produce indigenously the turbo trainer, project delays may seriously hamper the IAF’s training plans.

The Ministry of Defence issued a request for proposal (RFP) for acquisition of 75 basic trainer aircraft. The major contenders for the supply were Embraer with the Tucano 312, Raytheon for T-6 Texan aircraft, Finnmecannica for M-311 Aircraft, Pilatus for the PC-21, Grob Aircraft Company for G-120 TP and Korea Aerospace for KT-1 Trainer. The proposals were to be submitted by March 17, 2010, and the chosen supplier will be required to deliver 12 aircraft within two years of signing the contract and the balance in batches. The whole order is likely to be for 181 basic trainers of which 75 aircraft will be supplied off the shelf and 106 will be jointly produced with HAL in India.

The trainer aircraft selected will be the workhorse of IAF Training Command for at least 30 years and should therefore address the needs of the future. The IAF trains its pilots not merely to be a pilot but to be an aviator who will be confident of functioning in a high-threat environment bombarded by multiple stimuli from different quarters. He or she must be capable of sustaining long hours of flying under trying conditions. In addition to excelling in tactical skills, the pilot also needs to be a leader of men with appropriate personality traits and confidence in themselves and the team under his/her command.