Defence Minister Confirms Livefist Report, Rings Death Knell For Intermediate Trainer

Confirming a series of reports here on Livefist on devastating trouble for HAL’s indigenous HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer, Indian defence minister Arun Jaitley today told Parliament that critical problems with the platform had forced the Indian Air Force to look for a foreign replacement. Here’s the minister’s full statement:

The IAF conducts intermediate stage of flying training for ab-initio pilots on the Kiran aircraft.  These aircraft will complete their technical life over the next couple of years. HAL, which has been developing the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), as a replacement for the Kiran aircraft, has not so far been able to resolve critical wing and airframe Design & Development issues related to stall and spin. In order to meet the emergent situation created due to inordinate delay in the IJT project, IAF has already initiated the process for extending the technical life of the Kiran aircraft.  The IAF has also initiated action to look for alternate options for the IJT.

The current situation is, in effect, a culmination of rumblings that Livefist reported in 2012. Plain bad news. For the IAF. For HAL. For indigenous industry.

20 thoughts on “Defence Minister Confirms Livefist Report, Rings Death Knell For Intermediate Trainer”

  1. HAL is only sucking the money of tax payers till now they could deliver nothing. Its a shame . HAL must start do something to gain some respect and glory.

  2. Breaking News….it seems Su-30s have resumed flying…though not fully complete but one or two aircrafts flew last night from Pune AFB.

  3. NSR says —

    I think they should get the Hawk engine technology and replace the IJT Sitara engine with it to address stall and spin problems…

    I am sure BAE will be happy to do so for a price…

    It will keep our domestic aerospace design skills and talent and then they can go ahead and improve IJT Sitara and its engine and avionics in block upgrades…

    They can have some consultancy with BAE and SAAB to solve any weight issues…

    This is very beneficial way to go forward instead of killing it…

    So pay what it takes to get the engine technology for BAE Hawk and use it in both IJT and AJT and keep improving so India can manufacture and maintain these aircrafts in future all by itself…

  4. "I think they should get the Hawk engine technology and replace the IJT Sitara engine with it to address stall and spin problems…

    I am sure BAE will be happy to do so for a price…

    It will keep our domestic aerospace design skills and talent and then they can go ahead and improve IJT Sitara and its engine and avionics in block upgrades…

    They can have some consultancy with BAE and SAAB to solve any weight issues…

    This is very beneficial way to go forward instead of killing it…

    So pay what it takes to get the engine technology for BAE Hawk and use it in both IJT and AJT and keep improving so India can manufacture and maintain these aircrafts in future all by itself…"

    Hawk engine is double the size of the Sitara engine and also produces double the thrust. It wouldn't fit in Sitara.

  5. NSR says —

    If Hawk engine is too big, then they need to find one that would fit in it and produce enough thrust to alleviate the weight and stall problems…

    Amateurs should never design an aircraft without a proven engine…

    May be in hindsight they should have just kept upgrading Kiran incrementally with improvements in engine and avionics…

    They should keep BAT and IJT as developmental projects, otherwise, India will never have any aerospace technologies..

    If we can't do this with BAT and IJT, then how can we design more sophisticated fighter bombers?

  6. Someone please explain this to me, how we can make a fighter plane – a 4th generation one – but cannot build a trainer?

  7. Indians busy in watching Amir khan nude pic and bollywood films, indian meadia busy in only cricket, tv serials and bollywood and DRDO and HAL waste billon of dollar in our country. Shame on Indians. Yes, deserve this third class country.

  8. The problems of the IJT 36 are not insurmountable. You may read my "Notes on the forthcoming spin trials of the HJT 36" at profprodyutdas.com

    There are problems but I think they can be cured fairly smartly.

  9. NSR says…
    Prof. Prodyut Das,

    Please kindly bring that to the attention of IJT leader and team and save the important aerospace project, and aerospace infrastructure, and Indian jobs…

    I think India should somehow should manage to build BAT, IJT, and AJT easily…

    May be they can use a smaller version of underperforming Kaveri for IJT and AJT…

    It is really a shame that India can't manage to build a simple aircrafts…

  10. All inidan companies have only that much depth and breadth of talent. we should have focused on LCA 100%.
    Wonder why HAL raised hue and cry when IAF expressed concerms

  11. I strongly believe that if few of my suggestions are followed the plane can still be salvaged.

    Rule number one the plane frame has to be designed around a proven engine and not fitting an experimental engine in a body designed for some other engine and changing the engine midway in the project.

    I feel redesign the airframe again around a well proven engine like Honeywell F 124 or non afterburner version of the engine for jaguar.the length is ok but F 124 engine is slightly more wider and weighs less.

    The weight has to be balanced well and wings can be shifted slightly to front to share the weight.

    I feel get the guys from ADA for consultations and place some extra sensors and ask them to advise and redesign the main computer and software.

    Use the experience of ADA to sort out problems in IJT.

    HAL cannot and should not design and better concentrate on quality manufacturing process.

    IJT is not a great technology and HAL not been able to deliver certainly raises doubts in the minds of IAF top brass.

    Basic trainer HPT 39 is pretty simple but now IAF cannot believe the HAL as they have burnt themselves.
    In 1942 mustang P51 was designed and tested and put to production in 17 months and that plane was revolutionary at that time and a game changer. If HAL cannot deliver basic propeller trainer or IJT then Evan LCA would be questioned.

    Top priorities get few production versions at least 4 planes by this year end. Totally redesign IJT with a new reliable engine preferably non after burner version of the jaguar proposed engine so that less of inventory and training of staff is required to service both planes. The redesigned prototype must fly before the year end to save the chance of getting replaced by some imported plane.

    Work on HPT 39 be performed at top priority and two decent prototypes be flying by end of this year. If the Americans could do that for mustang when that was cutting edge technology then there is no reason for not doing so after 70 years.

    Good luck.

  12. If India were less of a Russian bootlicker, more things would succeed. Putin and Russia suck, as does that pill Philip on Bharat Rakshak. That website has the most Russian ass lickers on Earth.

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