Indian air force needs to overhaul it training aircrafts for next Gen Pilot

[1nd1a]

Indian air force is just five years away from Inducting a Fifth generation fighter aircraft in its fleet and again five to six years away from rolling out its own locally developed fifth generation fighter AMCA at the same period. But the question remains does the air force has necessary aircrafts to train those next generation pilots?

NO could be the big answer from Defense experts in India, Indian air force is facing issues with HAL developed HPT-32 trainer and whole fleet had to be grounded after flying 400,000 hours with the aircraft . HPT-32 trainer had repeated failures with its engines and the whole fleet had to be grounded.

Defense expert Rajesh Sharma points out that current training schedule for pilots is a mess, young pilots are flying less hours with outdated and ageing aircrafts and insufficiently trained pilots might lead to higher rates of accidents in conversion training period when they are posted in squadron flying frontline aircrafts.

Experts also pointed out lack of proper planning in Indian air force, which has lead to the current problems which the Indian air force is facing, in fact HAL in mid- 1990s had developed a prototype variant of a new tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft dubbed as HTT-35 which had a new powerful engine compared to HPT-32 and much better avionics, but surpassingly IAF showed no interest in the project and claimed they were happy with the HPT-32.

AJT Front: In AJT front too IAF lacked proper planning, when air force was inducting fourth ++ Sukhoi Su 30 aircrafts, AJT to train this new generation pilots was missing again. It took IAF more than 20 years to get AJT for the air force. AJT race began in 80’s with French developed Alpha jets and British developed Hawks been tested thoroughly by IAF Test pilots but decision to purchase dragged on for years to follow , in later year’s new Generation Advanced jet trainers were offered in form Mig-AT by MiG Corporation and Italy’s Alenia (M-346).

Instead IAF went on and decided to purchase legacy British AJT Hawks, leaving Next Generation AJT’s in likes of Italy’s Alenia (M-346). In later years Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Blasted Indian air force for purchasing an aircraft based on an Air staff requirement (ASR) issued in mid 80’s, even when India was just a decade away from possible purchase of Fifth generation aircrafts.

Big No to Local AJT: Early in this decade HAL had proposed twin engine CAT (Combat advance trainer) aircraft further developed on IJT 36, CAT was supposed to be a better AJT then HAWKs and in some way complement HAWKs in training of pilots in IAF. but air force outright rejected it, reasoning was that they don’t want two variants of the AJT in the air force . Also was on offer was much more interesting proposal by DRDO and ADE team of a trimmed down variant of LCA aka LIFT (lead in fighter trainer) aircraft, current AJT Hawk MK 132 cannot fulfill the role of a LIFT aircrafts.

LIFT aircrafts are finding place in training stage of young pilots in most advance air forces around the world, LIFT aircrafts, unlike Subsonic Hawk MK 132 can replicate flight controls of fighter aircrafts like Sukhoi 30 MKI and in future FGFA and AMCA too for IAF pilots. It also allows young trainee pilots get the feel of High Angle of Attack, Digital quadruples fly by wire, Multi mode radar and weapons platform training for pilots, which is lacking both in IJT-36 and Hawk MK 132 since cannot be termed has a LIFT aircrafts.

Delays in IJT-36: IJT-36 started with great promise but mid way. Air force wanted a new engine for these jets, so then started long process of selecting a new engine and finally Russian NPO Saturn AL-55I with 16.9 kN of thrust was selected, but Russians delivered the engine 2 years late from their committed time, this lead to delays in setting up production house for this engines in India, which further delayed induction of this jets into air force. Jets to had issues in Spin tests when aircraft was taking more time in recovery from a spin. But with firm orders of 73 aircrafts from air force and first lot of SP aircrafts already in test phase with new engines. Aircrafts could have not faced delays if IAF had done its home work on engines.

Turbo Trainers: Indian air force is all set to purchase 75 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 to replace HPT-32 Deepak basic trainers following a spate of crashes. And HAL is also working on developing a Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) with foreign collaboration in design and engine.

Current Trainer aircrafts:

Stage 1: after grounding of HPT-32, it has been Kiran-MK1

Stage 2: Kiran MK-2

Stage 3: Hawk MK 132 supplemented with Kiran MK-2

Future Trainer aircrafts and possible stages:

Stage 1: Pilatus PC-7 supplemented with Hal built HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft

Stage 2: IJT-36 supplemented with Kiran MK-2 until they are retired

Stage 3: Hawk MK 132 supplemented with LIFT

Stage 4: LIFT (lead in fighter trainer) this stage might be added in future, due fast changing pilot training around the world.

Indian air force needs to overhaul it training aircrafts for next Gen Pilots | idrw.org

 

[Ambitious.Asian]

good article...Now IAF should better watch for future rather than present.

 

[Ambitious.Asian]

What IAF is doing when Hal was proposing some fantastic models as HTT-35 and LCA-aka

 

[Nirvana]

Join hands with United states for Combat Air Trainer which will serve purpose for Stage 3 and 4 Combat Training

 

[joekrish]

We have always lacked in this area I hope the people who matter also understand this.
Good thread OP