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747-237

http://hillpost.in/2011/11/18/iaf-awaits-cabinet-nod-to-buy-pilatus-trainer/35295/news-2/hp_news_network

IAF awaits cabinet nod to buy Pilatus trainer
November 18, 2011

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is awaiting cabinet approval to buy the Swiss-made Pilatus PC-7 aircraft to train its rookie pilots, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne said Friday.

“The deal to buy the basic trainer has been cleared by the finance ministry and will go to the cabinet for approval by next week. We hope to sign the contract by mid-December,” Browne told reporters here.

The Swiss-made Pilatus Aircraft Ltd was the lowest bidder among the three firms short-listed to supply 75 turbo trainers to the IAF at an estimated cost of Rs.2,900 crore ($580 million).

“If we sign the contract by mid-December, we should be in a position to start the first basic trainer course of in two years,” Browne said on the margins of a conference on aerospace medicine.

Korean Aerospace KT-1 and American Hawker-Beechcraft T-6C Texan-II were the other two bidders for the tender.

As the turboprop low-wing tandem-seat aircraft, Pilatus is capable of providing all basic training functions, including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying.

The Swiss vendor has sold about 500 aircraft over the past three decades to about 20 air forces worldwide.

The air force has been facing shortage of basic trainer after its fleet of 125 HPT-32 Deepak aircraft of the state-run defence behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was grounded in July 2009 following several crashes and engine failures.

The air force also plans to send some of its young pilots to Switzerland for training till the delivery of initial batch of 12 aircraft commence in 2013.

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747-237 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:15 am Post subject:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Decks-cleared-for-Rs-5000-crore-IAF-deal-for-missiles-trainer-jets/articleshow/10810541.cms

Decks cleared for Rs 5000 crore IAF deal for missiles, trainer jets

All decks have been cleared for two crucial defence deals, together worth over Rs 5,000 crore, to acquire 75 Swiss turbo-prop aircraft to train rookie pilots as well as around 450 advanced French missiles to arm upgraded Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters.

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himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

Which aircraft is the IAF using for initial training after the grounding of HPT 32s?
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Save Maharashtra!

shivendrashukla · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 11:00 am Post subject:

Kiran MkI and MkII for basic training and Hawks for Advanced training.

Cheers
Shivendra

himmat01 · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 1392 Location: DEL

747-237 · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:13 am Post subject:

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_ccs-nips-iafs-training-plan_1635224

CCS nips IAF’s training plan

January 9, 2012

The Indian Air Force’s plan to revive the training for its rookie pilots on a basic trainer aircraft seems to be heading nowhere.

The cabinet committee on Security (CCS), headed by the prime minister, which met recently, refused to give consent for the purchase of 75 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 trainer aircraft worth `1,850 crore. The IAF has been seeking CCS approval to purchase the aircraft for the last few months. Its failure to get the nod once again would delay Pilatus PC-7’s induction into IAF’s flying academies.

The IAF is hoping that it could sign the contract with the Swiss aircraft manufacturer once it is approved by the CCS and that it can chart out a roadmap for the training of instructors and the induction of the aircraft by 2013.

In November, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne had said that if the contract was signed by mid-December, the IAF should be able to start the first basic trainer course in two years.

However, with this delay, it is unlikely that the trainers would be inducted any time before 2015, says Air Marshal BK Pandey, former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, which is responsible for the IAF’s flight and ground training.

“If CCS clears the deal and the contract is signed in the next few months then it would take two-and-half to three years for the first batch of the 75 trainer aircraft to be inducted. Besides, prior to the induction, instructors would have to be trained for about six months. Hence one can say that the trainers would be inducted only by 2015,” he said.
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The_Goat · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:22 pm Post subject:

747-237 · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:17 am Post subject:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/266558/iaf-buy-75-swiss-trainer.html

IAF to buy 75 Swiss trainer aircraft

Jul 23, 2012

Air Marshal (Training) Rajinder Singh said on Monday that India would purchase 75 training aircraft from Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft Company.

Thirteen of the ‘Pilatus - PC 7’ aircraft would be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) by January next year. The rest of the aircraft would be inducted thereafter at the rate of five every couple of months, he said.
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HAWK21M · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:40 pm Post subject:

Whats the number of HAWKs presently in the IAF.
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Think of the Brighter side !!!

shivendrashukla · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 3:24 pm Post subject:

Right now around 40. Will be eventually around 80.

747-237 · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:19 am Post subject:

http://business-standard.com/india/news/iaf-to-order-37-more-pilatus-trainers-worth-rs-1250-cr/500958/

IAF to order 37 more Pilatus trainers worth Rs 1,250 cr

Feb 04, 2013

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will order 37 additional the Pilatus trainer aircraft from Swiss manufacturer, Pilatus Aircraft Company, over and above the 75 trainers the IAF has already contracted for Rs 2,900 crore. That will take to 112 the number of Pilatus PC-7 Mark II trainers on order from the IAF.

A top IAF official told Business Standard, “The contract for 75 Pilatus trainers, which was signed last year, includes an options clause that allows India to order an extra 50 per cent of the contracted number of aircraft (i.e. 37 trainers) at the same price as the first 75 trainers. We will exercise this options clause this month.”

The first three PC-7 Mark II aircraft have already been delivered by Pilatus. The IAF official who spoke to Business Standard said 14 trainers, nearly a full squadron, would be delivered to the IAF by June. The IAF pilots course that begins initial training in June will learn to fly on the PC-7 Mark II.