The Indian Navy inducted the Hawk 132, a fourth generation Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft, at Naval Air Station INS Dega, in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Four aircraft have been delivered by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to the Navy, marking the beginning of induction of 17 fighter trainers to be acquired over the next few years.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, who was the chief guest at the event, inducted the aircraft in the presence of Eastern Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra and Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha. He unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and a fly-past of the newly-inducted AJT aircraft was conducted. Addressing the gathering, Admiral Joshi termed the event a red letter day in the history of the Indian Navy and for naval aviation. He said that the induction of Hawk AJT aircraft would address the long-felt need of the Navy to train its own fighter pilots, prior to their joining frontline deck-based flight squadrons.
“With the forthcoming induction of INS Vikramaditya, INS Vikrant and others, the AJT is expected to play a pivotal role in moulding the future generation of fighter pilots, who would be in the forefront of our carrier-centric operational philosophy,” he added.
The chief of the Naval Staff said that the induction of Hawk AJT produced by HAL into the Navy had taken its long and mutually valuable relationship to the next level. The induction of the highly capable aircraft would provide the much-needed fillip to the training of combat pilots in the Navy by bridging the gap between basic flying training and advanced fighter flying.
The Hawk 132 is equipped with advanced navigation systems and the capability to deploy array of weaponry including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground rockets, bombs and guns. It can also carry two extra fuel tanks under the wing, which extend its considerable strike range. The HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) system on the control column and throttle allows the pilot to make weapon selections without moving his hands from the controls. The Hawk 132 is a proven aircraft operating in over 24 nations. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is also operating these aircraft for training their pilots.
The ceremony was attended by various Flag Officers and senior officers of the Navy as well as senior officials of HAL and representatives of British Aerospace (BAE) Systems and Rolls Royce. The aircraft is licensed to be built by HAL, Bengaluru, with Transfer of Technology (ToT) from UK-based BAE Systems.