The Hindu : National : Hawk jets get IAF’s interim acceptance

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Saturday, Jul 14, 2007
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Hawk jets get IAF’s interim acceptance

New Delhi: Ahead of its debut appearance at the Royal International Air Tattoo, the Indian Air Force has given “interim acceptance” of the first six Hawk jet trainers made by the BAE Systems. Three of these are now being used to train IAF instructor pilots at Warton in Britain under a programme run by the BAE Systems and the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The training will be extended to include Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) test pilots this month. This is part of the aircrew training package that has seen 50 IAF pilots trained on the RAF’s older Hawk jets based at the Valley base in Wales, according to official sources here.

Meeting the standard

A BAE Systems statement said the interim acceptance “represents the IAF agreeing that the aircraft meet the standard required to allow instructor pilot and maintenance training to commence.

“The other three Hawks that have been through the interim acceptance process are now in the Technical Training Academy at the BAE Systems in Warton, where they are being used to train IAF technicians, who will support and maintain the aircraft when it enters service.”

The six jets were the first of 66 new Hawk trainers for the IAF. The first 24 aircraft were being built at the BAE Systems facilities in Brough in East Yorkshire. The other 42 jets were being made under licence in India. — PTI

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