NEW DELHI \u2014 Much against the wishes of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Defence Ministry has decided that only state-owned monopoly Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) will meet the service’s future basic trainer requirements through its HTT-40 trainer, which is still under development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, to meet the Air Force’s immediate needs, until of IAF, till <\/span>the homemade HTT-40 (cq) <\/span> is inducted, MoD has ordered another a final batch of <\/span> 38 numbers of <\/span>Swiss-made Pilatus PC-7 Mark-IIs to top the 75 Pilatus trainer <\/span> ordered by the outgoing government in 2012. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Air Force IAF <\/span>wanted to buy only the purchase of only <\/span> Pilatus basic trainers from overseas <\/span> and put the ting on hold HAL’s<\/span> HTT-40 trainer <\/span> project on hold, said an Air Force IAF <\/span> official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the top weapon purchasing highest <\/span> body in the MoD, headed by the Defense Minister, and responsible for clearing weapon purchases,<\/span>at its February 28 meeting <\/span> ordered 38 additional Pilatus trainers at its Feb.ruary<\/span> 28 meeting at a cost of $250 million by exercising the additional purchase clause tied to the original order of when it ordered <\/span> 75 Pilatus <\/span> trainers in 2012. But the service’s The<\/span> remaining trainer needs needs of IAF <\/span>will be met through the procurement of <\/span>HTT-40, basic trainers, <\/span> the DAC ruled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Bureaucrats in MoD, while taking the decision to depend wholly on HAL’s HTT-40 basic trainer, overlooked the recommendations of the actual user \u2014 the IAF \u2014 which had strongly recommended in 2013 to put on hold the homemade HTT-40 trainer project and instead procure 106 additional Pilatus trainers to meet the training needs of the IAF,” said a retired Air Force official. of the IAF, who refused to be named.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n “HAL should have a competitor and not be overprotected despite their poor record,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A MoD official without being named <\/span> said the decision to procure the HTT-40 for basic trainer needs in addition to the Pilatus was made to boost a homemade aircraft that which<\/span> he claimed would be cheaper than Pilatus in the long run because it would be less costly to cheaper to <\/span> maintain and upgrade. than a foreign aircraft.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2013, the Air Force IAF had <\/span> recommended the to <\/span> MoD to <\/span> procure only Pilatus basic trainers because it was cheaper to buy and is <\/span> available immediately, while compared to<\/span> the HTT-40 trainer which <\/span>is unlikely to be inducted before 2017-18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Air Force IAF had <\/span> also argued Pilatus would be that it is economical and <\/span> easier to operate and with only one basic trainer it would simplify only manage <\/span> one line of basic training as the <\/span> logistic and maintenance needs. for only one line can be taken care efficiently.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n