The Hindu Business Line : Hawk with HAL avionics to start test-flights soon

BAE Systems, which is to supply 66 Hawk advanced jet trainers for the Indian Air Force, said it will start test-flying a rejigged trainer version fitted with Indian avionics this month.

The avionics equipment supplied by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd will be put through intensive in-flight tests during the first quarter of 2006, the British combat aircraft major said in a release here.

As per a deal signed in March 2004, HAL is to licence-produce 36 of the 66 Hawks ordered by IAF. The order placed for IAF is valued at $1.45 billion (nearly Rs 6,500 crore).

BAE also said it would ship the second consignment, containing 100 tonnes of raw materials for 10 aircraft, to HAL this month. The first batch of tools (out of a total of 3,000) was delivered in late 2005.

BAE plans to complete all tooling and material deliveries by the end of this year and post 20 employees in Bangalore to technically assist HAL.

BAE said it has been reworking on its development aircraft (ZJ100) over the past six months. The first production aircraft (HT001) is slated to fly in 2007.

The modified version now has a new Instrumented Landing System, a GPS and an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS).

Mr Dave Corfield, Hawk India Programme Director, explained, "Until recently ZJ100 was leading development work for the Australian Air Force. Now, we have converted the aircraft to the Indian standard, using avionics that have been developed by HAL for the Indian Air Force."

The first Hawk MK132 will be delivered in early 2007 and the last one in the first quarter of 2008. Of the 66 Hawks that IAF has ordered, BAE will supply 24 in `ready to fly' condition through 2008 and six as kits to be assembled by HAL.

A HAL spokesman said the defence PSU will begin parallel production during 2007-08 to last till 2010-11 in batches of 1, 14, 24 and three aircraft.

Meanwhile, around 300 HAL employees will be visiting the BAE site over the next two years to receive manufacturing training. Courses 1, 2 and 3 have already been completed and Course 4 is due in April.

The pilot training programme began in March last year under which 75 IAF pilots and two HAL pilots will be trained over three years at BAE's Brough facility. Its Warton site will offer ground school training to nearly 100 IAF technicians and officers in 2007.