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The long-awaited replacement of the Kiran aircraft with the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) as the stage-2 trainer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has finally come to its fruition. This has been achieved with the Russian AL-55 I engine being integrated with the airplane designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and flight tests would commence soon.
The new two-stage trainer replacement was conceptualized by IAF and its Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment would conduct the tests to evaluate the airplane’s capability and induction into the force.
The IAF has been wanting to replace the Kiran aircraft with a new IJT plane since the Kiran aircraft has clocked its 6,000 hours and will be obsolete. The new IJT, which has not been christened yet, will be the IAF’s Stage-2 trainer aircraft. Currently, Stage one training is on a simple propeller aircraft (HAL’s HPT-32 aircraft), Stage 2 is undertaken on a basic jet trainer with a higher degree of complexity and Stage three is conducted on an advanced jet trainer.
The IJT will have a state-of-the-art cockpit, override and failure simulation from the rear instructor cockpit, a sortie de-brief facility, a modular fuel-efficient engine, a light alloy airframe structure with a total life close to 10,000 hours, zero-zero ejection seats, designed to facilitate easy maintenance and a capability to carry 1,000 kilograms of armament load for training.
While the IAF has already placed an initial order of 12 IJTs with HAL, more will follow after a formal certification and trials. The new IJT has been created in a record time despite delays in the nascent stage when a suitable state-of-art engine was being identified. The Russian new engine AL-55 I customized for the IAF will now be integrated in the IJT.
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