Karnataka   

Grand reception for Hawk aircraft

BIDAR: Air Force Station, Bidar, is being decked up for receiving two Hawk aircraft on Monday.

The first two aircraft will arrive from Warton, United Kingdom, brought in by a unique team of aircrew comprising pilots of the Indian Air Force and British Aerospace Systems.

The Air Force Station, established during World War II, has been training IAF pilots since 1963. They utilise trainer aircraft like HT2 and various variants of Kiran aircraft. The Hawk aircraft is fully capable of carrying an array of weapons including air-to-ground bombs and air-to-air missiles. This capability of the Hawk will help in imparting armament training to budding fighter pilots. It will equip the pilots with the skills needed to exploit the capabilities of advanced fighters while guarding the Indian skies.The Government signed a deal with British Aerospace Systems in 2004 for 66 Hawk aircraft. Twenty-four aircraft would be made in the United Kingdom and the rest under licence by HAL, Bangalore. A team of pilots and technicians of the Indian Air Force and HAL have undergone training at BAE Systems facilities in the U.K. They would train pilots with the Hawk aircraft.

Group Captain Patra, Chief Administrative Officer of the Air Force Station, said: “Sun shelters have been constructed for parking the Hawk aircraft.”

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