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U.K. addresses India's concerns on acquisition of AJTs

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 31. In a development that could have far reaching ramifications for Indian plans to acquire Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs), the United Kingdom's (U.K.) Ministry of Defence has reportedly informed the South Block here about its decision to purchase "Hawk" AJTs from British Aerospace late on Wednesday night.

The clarification comes in the wake of the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, stating that a multi-billion dollar deal for purchasing AJTs from BAE could be struck if the British Government replies to a query from the Indian Government. The question was why the Royal Air Force (RAF) has not acquired latest generation Hawk trainers for its training fleet.

While replying to the query, the U.K. Ministry of Defence has stated that it has selected the new generation Hawk Mk 128 AJTs for the RAF. The initial order would be for 20 Hawks with an option for up to a further 24, with the whole deal for 44 aircraft worth £ 800 millions.

This decision should put to rest competitive price concerns which the BAE had to face from various quarters following reports that the Treasury Department of the British Government is considering other foreign options for RAF training fleet, including Italian and South Korean AJTs. The new generation Hawk Mk 128s, which are expected to go in service by 2008, would be replacing the existing RAF fleet of Hawks used in their stage III training. The IAF desperately needs the AJT to replace ageing MiG 21s which are used for stage III in the Tezpur-based MiG-Operational Flying Training Unit (MOFTU).

While the IAF is looking at the standard Hawk series, the RAF would be using the similar advance versions of Mk128 to train future pilots on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme and the Typhoons.

In fact, as per the programme for the IAF, the BAE is to deliver the first 24 out of the 66 AJTs while the remaining 42 are to be manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Reacting to concerns about American spares, the BAE had committed to "sanitise'' the Hawk of all American parts before delivery to India. As part of the deal, the BAE had offered to train 25 post-stage II pilots every year at the RAF training bases.

The HAL, which manufactures the British Jaguars in India with their Rolls Royce engines, are reportedly ready for production of the Hawks. In India, Hawk was the front-runner until the Czech-based Aero Vodochody, partly owned by Boeing, came into the picture with its Aero L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft (ALCA).

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