NEW DELHI: The ambitious plans of developing indigenous modern aircraft will require specialised training as the country's aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has initiated a project for training aircraft. HAL is working on a project to develop Hindustan Lead Fighter Trainer (HLFT)- 42 supersonic jet trainer and its mockup was displayed for the first time at Aero India.
Talking to The New Indian Express, Group Captain HV Thakur (Retd) told that HLFT-42 will be similar to the recently approved projects like the LCA MK II and eventually the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). "So, it (the new fighter trainer) will have to keep pace with that kind of requirement. It should have similar sensors and weapons. Obviously, the simulators and simulations should be of that capability as well," he added. Group Captain Thakur is a test Pilot of the HAL.
AMCA is a project to develop fifth-generation fighters. Also, the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is another project to develop an advance maritime fighter to be based on Indian aircraft carriers. The projected timelines for their development are at the end of this decade or early 2030s.
According to the HAL, the HLFT-42 trainer, which is aimed at preparing fighter pilots comprehensively for the fifth-generation aircraft, incorporates an ultra-modern training suite, enabling hyper-real combat situations to train pilots in a perfectly safe, standardised and efficient flying environment.
"To fill today's needs and for tomorrow's aircraft like the Light Combat Aircraft Mark II, we have to have a very high-performance trainer to go along with them. The trainer needs to have similar capabilities. As a leading fighter trainer, it is very efficiently made. It will do exactly the same task that it is supposed to. The trainer will be very similar to the fighter aircraft of the next generation," the Group Captain (Retd) said.
He further added that the training of Indian pilots happens on three platforms -- the basic trainer, the intermediate trainer and the advanced trainer; all of these teach how to fly. The basic trainer is for all kinds of pilots, including helicopter pilots. In advanced trainers, they train only fighter pilots.
The advanced trainers mentioned earlier are about the AJT or the Hawk-I of the HAL kind of aircraft. But these trained fighter pilots only learn how to manoeuvre the aircraft. It never goes supersonic, never does any missile firing, does not have sensors, and does not have a radar or an infrared search and track (IRST) system. "So, on yesterday's aircraft, the real combat training never gets done. Today and tomorrow, that is required. That's why we have the need for a medium fighter trainer urgently," added Gp Capt Thakur.