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Sharad Gupta
NEW DELHI, SEPT 16: The Ministry of Defence has finally acceded to the demand of the Indian Air Force for trainer aircraft but has invited quotation for the deal worth around Rs 6,000-crore from just one company, British Aerospace, which manufactures Hawk.
Joint Secretary (Air) P K Mishra wrote to two companies, British Aerospace and Franco-German Dassault-Dornier on July 20, asking them to submit tenders for their Advance Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft citing specifications.
Dassault stopped manufacturing AJTs from 1986 itself. The company informed the Defence Ministry through a letter on August 2 that it was unable to submit a tender since it had stopped producing its AJT -- Alpha Jet -- over a decade ago. The company also wrote that it was already discussing with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) the production of a new generation AJT at the HAL's Bangalore unit.
There are at least half a dozen other companies manufacturing AJTs like Italian Aermacchi, Russian Yakolef, a Polish company producing L159and a Czech AJT company, but the Defence Ministry apparently did not float a global tender.
The Italian company, Aermacchi, wrote to Mishra on August 6 to consider its AJT called MB-339FD jet trainer. Franco Ferracini, head of international sales of the company, citing specifications of his aircraft, claimed that it was more sophisticated than the Hawk and was priced almost half of the British Hawk. He also claimed that Italian Air Force had already incorporated AJTs produced by his company.
Mishra was not available for comments despite several attempts to contact him.
Mishra invited tender for 24 AJTs for immediate delivery, another 24 to be manufactured by the parent company and 44 to be assembled at HAL. But MoD reportedly cleared purchase of 66 aircraft, sanctioning Rs 1,000 crore for the deal during the current financial year with the remaining amount to be released in phases during the next five years, sources said.
Specifications mentioned by the MoD for AJTs were that the aircraft must betransonic (bordering supersonic) and it should have spinning capability -- to simulate an aircraft going out of control.
The Alpha Jet could perform seven controlled spins and the Hawk ten. The new generation AJTs have better spinning capabilities, yet they were overlooked by the MoD, sources said.
Veteran Air Force officers say that the Services do not decide which defence equipment has to be bought and from whom. Their role is limited only to sending their requirements for defence equipment along with their recommendations after conducting techno-economic studies of various available products, says Air Marshal (Retd) O P Mehra. But, it is the government, which holds negotiations with arms dealers and finalises the deal.
There are several factors which influence the Government's decisions, like India's relations with the country supplying arms, claim arms dealers. Arms manufactured by USSR, for instance, used to be thrust upon the Services for a long time because of India's position in the thenbi-polar world.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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