New Delhi: The moment of truth has arrived in the long-running duel between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) over which trainer aircraft should be used for teaching IAF rookies to fly.
Business Standard has learnt that on Tuesday morning, the ministry of defence (MoD) will hold a special meeting of the apex Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, to definitively choose between their competing demands.
The IAF wants the Swiss Pilatus PC-7 Mark II, while HAL wants to supply the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) it is developing, slated to fly next year. On Thursday, both sides made final presentations before MoD.
In 2009, the ministry had ruled IAF would buy 75 trainers from abroad, while HAL developed and built 106 HTT-40 trainers in India, thus meeting the IAF's need for 181 aircraft. In May 2012, the IAF bought 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mark II trainers for 577 million Swiss Franc (Rs 3,727 crore).
Then, the IAF demanded the HTT-40 programme be scrapped, and 106 more aircraft be bought from Pilatus. It alleged the HTT-40 was too expensive, would take too long to deliver, and that the IAF could not operate two different kinds of basic trainer aircraft.
09/12/14 Ajai Shukla/Business Standard
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Business Standard has learnt that on Tuesday morning, the ministry of defence (MoD) will hold a special meeting of the apex Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, to definitively choose between their competing demands.
The IAF wants the Swiss Pilatus PC-7 Mark II, while HAL wants to supply the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) it is developing, slated to fly next year. On Thursday, both sides made final presentations before MoD.
In 2009, the ministry had ruled IAF would buy 75 trainers from abroad, while HAL developed and built 106 HTT-40 trainers in India, thus meeting the IAF's need for 181 aircraft. In May 2012, the IAF bought 75 Pilatus PC-7 Mark II trainers for 577 million Swiss Franc (Rs 3,727 crore).
Then, the IAF demanded the HTT-40 programme be scrapped, and 106 more aircraft be bought from Pilatus. It alleged the HTT-40 was too expensive, would take too long to deliver, and that the IAF could not operate two different kinds of basic trainer aircraft.
09/12/14 Ajai Shukla/Business Standard
