The Hindu Business Line : AJT: Single or twin-engine?

Twin-engine trainers ensure lower peacetime attrition rate and desired safety especially when operating over densely populated areas. Consequently, the issue at stake for India would be to choose between giving its pilots the desired twin-engine trainer or to press on with the single-engine AJT.

THE Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) for the IAF has been on the purchase list for over two decades. After reporting that the price negotiations have been completed and the final decision is with the Ministry of Defence, there seems to be a rethink.

When the need for an AJT was felt two decades ago, it was primarily to aid pilots convert to the then frontline single-engine aircraft, the MiG.

Today, after two decades, the IAF boasts of such twin-engine aircraft as the Su Mk 30, the MiG 29 and the Jaguar. Any justification to go in for a single-engine AJT at this point of time thus needs to be re-examined ab initio?

Media reports have also stated that the AJT supplier, British Aerospace Systems, has thrown in carrots. According to some press reports, "... it is the most cost effective trainer aircraft... If chosen most of the manufacturing will be done by HAL...The company will forge partnerships in practically every area including LCA, AJT, MRTA and Intermediate Jet Trainer... " Today, the Western combat aviation is focussed on the induction of the US designed Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and the European-designed Eurofighter Typhoon — both twin-engine aircraft.

The British authorities have placed an indent for 232 Typhoons out of the 630 to be produced and to enter service this year. There is a feeling among RAF pilots that the BAe's AJT, in its current design status, lacks the realism with regard to varying `g' factors and the sensation of rolling and pitching that would be encountered in the Typhoons.

Consequently, the RAF plans to acquire the twin-engine trainer M-346 made by the Italian firm Aermacchi at a competitive price tag of $15 million a piece.

The makers claim that the twin-engine trainer, based on the Russian Yak-130 design, has a time to takeoff of around 10 seconds, similar to the Eurofighter and most modern fighters — a critical requisite for fast decision making.

Twin-engine trainers ensure lower peacetime attrition rate and desired safety especially when operating over densely populated areas. In addition, they are capable of high angle of attack, manoeuvrability, climb and acceleration, all features of twin-engine combat fighters such as the Su 30 and the MiG 29.

Consequently, the issue at stake for India would be to choose between giving its pilots the desired twin-engine trainer or to press on with the single-engine AJT.

All the time, manpower and money expended in the AJT hunt may still be worthwhile if the IAF gets a trainer to meet needs of the future.

BAe is fighting for survival — it has laid off 470 of its 2000-strong work force. And in the event of its failure to acquire an endorsement from the Labour Government for supply of 45 Hawk 128s to the RAF, it may be forced to not only lay off more personnel but also cease development and production activities. In this backdrop, India must be alive to the hazards of signing agreements, which virtually serve as revival packages to foreign firms initially and later on skew out of shape our spares procurement budgets.

The scenario may be that the IAF will receive spares for 2-3 years and then the makers will apply pressure that to keep the production line open to meet the meagre demands of the IAF, it should place a bulk order for five year.

Gradually, the escalation factor will creep in to do its bit on the price of spares, and all the stress on cost effectiveness will go down the drain.

This has been the story of all our acquisitions, especially when we go in for products that are not current. Unless the decision-makers at South Block opt for the privatisation of military air crew training under the Military Flying Training System (MFTS) being offered by all aerospace firms.

This is an area which needs to be examined as it may solve the spares and upgradation issues which emerge during the service life of an aircraft, provided the contract clauses are suitably worded to cover all eventualities so as to render `sanctions' as a penalising factor in commercial deals.

Since BAe, the maker of the AJT, is joining with Finmeccania of Italy to form Eurosystems, which plans to buy Aermacchi, the maker of twin-engine trainer M-346, India must consider dovetailing this requirement (like an offset) into the present deal; suitably cut down on the quantity of AJT to be replaced with the M-346 as and when it becomes available.

This will be able to give our pilots the currently available technology with scope to upgrade when the desired aircraft is available from the same source.

(The author, a retired Commodore, is a Chennai-based freelance writer.)

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