Trainer Hawk down, eye on quality
File picture of a Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft
File picture of a Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft
New Delhi, April 30: The Indian Air Force today lost one of its latest acquisitions — a British Hawk trainer aircraft — in a little over two months of acquiring it, raising questions about the quality of the aircraft.
The two pilots had a “miraculous escape”, said a source in air force headquarters here.
The Hawk crashed just as it was taking off at 12.40 this afternoon from Bidar. The Hawk Operational Flying Training Squadron is based in the north Karnataka airforce base.
The aircraft that crashed was being piloted by two flight instructors, experienced fighter pilots, who were preparing to train the first batch of combat pilots whose course is scheduled to start in July.
The Hawks were inducted at a gala ceremony on February 23.
The cause of this afternoon’s crash is yet to be determined. But a source in the air force said the aircraft was “not recoverable”, meaning that it would not be flight-worthy. A mandatory court of inquiry is investigating the cause of the accident.
The Indian Air Force contracted the Hawk, manufactured by BAE Systems of the UK, for 794 million pounds (more than Rs 6,000 crore) in 2004. It is procuring 66 aircraft.
According to the terms of the contract, the first 24 are to be delivered in flyaway condition and 42 are to be licence-manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India.
By July this year, BAE Systems is to deliver 18 of the aircraft of which 10 have been inducted. The Hawk that crashed today was among the first to land in the country.
The Hawk contract was 21 years in the making. The aircraft is designed to bridge the gap in the training of combat pilots. It was the hyphen between the subsonic Kiran aircraft and supersonic Mig 21.
But after today’s crash, there is a question mark on the “serviceability” — the quality — of the aircraft.
When the Hawk was inducted in February, an air force statement said: “The induction of the Hawk 132 has satisfied a long-felt need of the Indian Air Force to have an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) to bridge the gap between the slow speed jet trainer aircraft like Kiran and the advanced fighter aircraft currently in the IAF’s inventory.
“The need for an AJT has only increased in urgency ever since it was first articulated by the IAF in 1982. Induction of newer, sophisticated fighters and upgrades of the existing ones meant that the technology gap facing a young fighter pilot, and hence, the skills demanded of him, have both increased substantively.”
But the source in the air force said the “serviceability” of the Hawks was “below average”, meaning that they can be flown for less than half the time they are supposed to. This is because supply of spares is doubtful.
But it is shocking that there should be a question mark on supply of spares for new aircraft. It indicates that the contract was not negotiated correctly.
The defence ministry has decided to order an additional 40 Hawk advanced jet trainer aircraft likely to be based in Kalaikunda in Bengal. That will be the second Hawk Operational Flying Training Squadron after Bidar, where the aircraft crashed today.
The air force has lost 30 pilots in air crashes in the last five years, defence minister A.K. Antony said in the Rajya Sabha today.
Most crashes between 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 were because of human error and technical defects. “A continuous and multi-faceted effort is always under way in the Indian Air Force to enhance and upgrade flight safety.
“Measures to enhance the quality of training to improve the skill levels, ability to exercise sound judgement and situational awareness of pilots are being pursued,” Antony said.
“Constant interaction with original equipment manufacturers, both indigenous and foreign, is also maintained to overcome the technical defects of aircraft. Besides, anti-bird hit measures are also undertaken,” Antony added.
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