Hawk-i Advanced Jet Trainer [AJT]
The Indian air force agreed to buy 66 Hawk trainer fighter jets from the UK with designation as Hawk-i; (Hawk-India). In February 2003, India awarded a $1.7bn contract to supply the trainer fighter jets to the UK company, BAE Systems. The Hawk beat a rival bid from a state-run Czech firm. India would buy 24 Hawks outright and build the rest under BAE licence in the southern city of Bangalore. Negotiations over the possible British sale of Hawk jets to India went on for over a decade. In September 2003, Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee decided to go ahead with the deal given recent MiG-21 crashes. The IAF had been asking for trainers for 20 years and had purchased 27 second-hand MiG-21 trainers from Krygystan as a temporary solution.
Government of India approved (October 1991) in principle the procurement of Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) to train the pilots to fly advanced technology aircraft such as Sukhoi, Mirage, MiG 27 and Jaguar. HAL issued (February 1992) Request for Proposal (RFP) and Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) accorded (August 1993) approval for procurement of AJT. Based on the offers received, preliminary round of price negotiations were held with M/s British Aerospace (BAe) between December 1995 and February 1996 and M/s Dassault Aviation, France (DA) in February 1997. Since DA did not respond further, the price negotiations remained inconclusive. Fresh RFP was sent (June 1999) to M/s British Aerospace Systems (BAES) and DA by Air Headquarters to which BAES submitted (September 1999) their proposal while DA did not respond. A series of price negotiations were held with BAES and based on the negotiations, BAES submitted (March 2002) their final offer which was recommended to Government for approval. Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved (September 2003) procurement of 24 BAe HAWK 115Y AJT Aircraft in flyaway condition and licence manufacture of 42 aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Government of India (GoI) and Government of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was signed on 19 March 2004 for supply of 24 Aircraft in flyaway condition and licence production of 42 Hawk aircraft, equipment and associated equipment and services by HAL. The contract for supply of the Hawk AJT was signed between the IAF and BAE Systems in 2004. The deal envisaged a supply of 66 aircraft, 24 built in the UK and 42 license produced by HAL at Bangalore. IAF pilots and technicians were trained at BAE Systems facilities at Warton and Brough in UK. Of the 66 trainer, it was finally decided that 22 would be delivered in "fly-away" condition and the rest would be manufactured in India under license under a technology-transfer deal. The IAF had originally wanted 160 AJTs but reduced that number to 66 due to budget constraints.
The Hawk 132 is equipped with advanced and reliable navigation systems and the capability to deploy an impressive 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 further. 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 contracts dated 26 March 2004, and subsequently in different phases, contained clauses prohibiting the payment of agent/agency commissions. These clauses were to the effect that the supplier (Rolls Royce/BAE) shall confirm that it has not engaged any agent or middlemen to intercede, facilitate, or in any manner recommend to the Indian government for award of the contract, and also that no payments were made to any such individuals. In 2005, India signed a deal to buy 24 Hawk 115 advanced jet trainers for 734.21 million pounds ($926.65m), and licensed manufacturing of 42 jets for 308.25 million pounds ($380.94m), along with the supply of materials and transfer of technology. This was done, the CBI said in a 2023 document, “in lieu of huge bribes, commissions and kickbacks paid by the said manufacturer and its officers to intermediaries”. The CBI alleged that former Rolls Royce India director Tim Jones, arms dealer Sudhir Choudhrie, and others conspired to deceive the Indian government in procurement of Hawk aircraft when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was in power in India.
Choudhrie and his son both reportedly figure in a list of “undesirable middlemen” in the Defence Ministry and that of the CBI. However, while Sudhir Choudhrie has been probed by investigative agencies in the past, including by the CBI, he has never been convicted or arrested in India. He is now a British citizen and runs a large business empire with interests in the hospitality, aviation, and healthcare sectors. Choudhrie is also reportedly a big political donor in the UK.
The ongoing CBI investigation, which spanned several years, found that crucial documents related to the purported transaction were seized from the premises of M/s Rolls Royce India Pvt. Ltd. during a survey conducted by the Income Tax Department in 2006-07. However, the accused individuals, allegedly deliberately caused the “disappearance” of these documents in order to evade a probe, according to the CBI FIR. It says that “in furtherance of the conspiracy and to evade investigation by Indian agencies into the alleged bungling in the deal, (the accused) caused disappearance/removal/destruction of such vital documents”.
Further, Rolls Royce is alleged to have paid kickbacks to public servants in India, including tax officials, to prevent investigation into its tax affairs and use of advisors. An amount of GBP 1.85 million was allegedly paid to intermediaries through Commercial Contractual Agreements (CCAs). Between 2008 and 2010, the Indian government approved the licensed manufacturing of an additional 57 jets for 95 billion rupees ($1.16bn) under a separate agreement with BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd.
On 23 February 2008, when the Honourable Raksha Mantri Shri AK Antony formally inducted the Hawk 132 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) into service, an important milestone in the history of the IAF would be reached. This event will mark the fulfillment of a long-standing requirement of the IAF for an AJT that will effectively bridge the gap between the slow jet trainer such as the Kiran and the advanced fighter aircraft currently in IAF’s inventory.
The initial four Hawk aircraft were flown from Warton to Bidar by a combined team of BAE Systems’ and IAF pilots. Bidar airfield, located in the North West of Karnataka, approx 150 Km from Hyderabad, was chosen as the main operating base for the Hawk. This base has been a training establishment for budding fighter pilots of the IAF since 1963. To ensure the smooth induction of the Hawk, the Air Warriors under the command of Air Commodore Ramesh Rai have worked tirelessly to put the required infrastructure in place. They were, at all stages, assisted by the local civil authorities and population. The work services included extension of the two runways, improvement in landing facilities and creation of servicing facilities for the technology intensive Hawk aircraft. The first two aircraft arrived at Bidar on 12 November 2007.
The Hawk AJT – which India finalised after a 20-year drawn out drama – encountered turbulence shortly after it was selected by the IAF. Upset over Britain’s inability – or perhaps unwillingness – to supply spares to HAL, which is assembling the Hawk in India, the IAF shelved plans to place follow-on orders and instead floated a new tender in 2009.
The Indian Navy inducted the Hawk 132, a fourth generation Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft, on 06 November 2013 at an impressive ceremony held at Naval Air Station INS Dega. Admiral DK Joshi, Chief of the Naval Staff, was the chief guest at the event. Four aircraft had been delivered to the Navy, marking the beginning of seventeen such fighter trainers to be acquired over the next few years.
The induction of this highly capable aircraft provided 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 will provide the ab initio naval pilots with an ideal platform to hone their skills before they graduate to flying high performance aircraft and carrier based fighter jets, thereby making them available operationally in a shorter span of time.
British engineering company Rolls Royce, which produces the Hawk, was accused of bribing officials at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, an Indian state-owned company, between 2005 and 2009, acting as middlemen by ensuring that the Air Force used them to source Adour Mk aero engines engines for the 132 British Hawk advanced jet trainers. In early January 2016, the company had to pay more than $800 million after being accused of bribing allegations that implicated “intermediaries in a number of overseas markets” including the UK, Brazil and the US.
An investigation by the BBC uncovered evidence suggesting that £100 million (about $125,540,000) was passed to companies that are connected to Indian arms dealer Sudhir Choudhrie. A lawyer for Choudrie stated that his client "has never paid bribes to government officials or acted as an illegal middleman in defence deals." Following the settlement, Rolls Royce CEO Warren East issued an apology saying, "The behaviour uncovered in the course of the investigations by the (UK’s) Serious Fraud Office and other authorities is completely unacceptable and we apologise unreservedly for it…Along with colleagues around the world, I share a sense of disappointment and anger at how some people within our company behaved."
Delay in delivery of aircraft to MoD due to delay in supply of technical documents, accessories & tooling by OEM and rectification of defective tools & jigs supplied resulted in delayed supply of Batch I aircraft. Not insisting for licence for manufacture of unlimited number of aircraft by MoD while negotiating for Batch I contract resulted in avoidable payment of licence fee for licenced manufacture of unlimited number of aircraft.
As a part of the contracts entered (March 2004) into with BAES, HAL was given exclusive rights to repair and overhaul of Hawk aircraft. The Total Technical Life (TTL) of the Hawk Mk 132 aircraft was 6000 hours and the aircraft was required to undergo major servicing after completion of 2000 flying hours/10 years whichever was earlier. Though the facilities were set up, there were delays in setting up the facilities.
IAF requested (May 2009) HAL for diversion of Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) in order to maintain serviceability of 24 Aircraft supplied directly by BAES. 6A line-replaceable unit (LRU), lower line-replaceable unit (LLRU), line-replaceable component (LRC), or line-replaceable item (LRI) is a modular component of an airplane, ship or spacecraft (or any other manufactured device) that is designed to be replaced quickly at an operating location. HAL diverted partial LRUs from additional five aircraft sets of 42 Hawk programme. Since IAF did not return Cat 'A' LRUs loaned by HAL, IAF agreed for fitment of Cat 'B' LRUs to deliver the last batch of production Aircraft. IAF also loaned (March 2012) three Aircraft to HAL for facilitating the fitment of Cat 'B' LRUs. HAL cannibalized the aircraft parts for meeting the production schedule of 2012-13. Audit observed that these three loaned Aircraft were signalled out in 2011-12 and hence, the loaned Aircraft were to be rebuilt as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Mission Planning Debriefing System (MPDS) is a debriefing tool for synthetic5 as well as actual sorties. HAL supplied nine MPDS to IAF between April 2014 and February 2015 for the Batch II contract with 3 sets of software CDs. However, no associated manual/operating instructions were supplied and hence, the software could not be loaded on the systems. Due to nonavailability of the system, there was no recording of the synthetic/actual flying sortie sessions of the rookie pilots. Thus, the trainees/instructors were deprived of the debriefing sessions which would enable the trainees to overcome the deficiencies/mistakes during the sorties. Audit also observed that there were compatibility issues between Batch I and Batch II MPDS.
Batch I of Hawk aircraft was fitted with Video Monitoring and Recording System (VMRS) for the purpose of debriefing the trainee pilots by their instructors. Breakage/discontinuity of VCR loom cable was noticed in six Aircraft due to stretching resulting in non-recording of the flying sorties for the purpose of debriefing of the trainee pilots by their instructors. BAES proposed (May 2013) a modification to introduce a sacrificial cable to reinstate the lost loom length which was to be carried out by HAL at their cost. Finally a Replacement Plan was proposed (October 2013) for upgradation of Batch I aircraft with Digital Monitoring and Recording System (DVMRS) system similar to Batch II.
By September 2016 India was poised to place an order for an additional batch of Hawk advanced jet trainers under a Rs 3,500-crore deal to meet requirements of the Air Force and Navy. The new deal for 32 jet trainers would add to the 123 aircraft already ordered for the Indian armed forces. The Navy had a requirement of at least eight more Hawks to train fighter pilots for the MiG 29K fleet, and the Air Force required additional planes for its Suryakiran aerobatic team that had been reconstituted after a long break.
By early 2017 India had contracted 123 Hawk Mk-132 AJT aircraft from BAE Systems for the IAF and the Navy. Another order for 20 aircraft to equip the Surya Kiran aerobatics team was in an advanced stage. HAL was assembling the Hawks in India under a license.
A senior official with IAF told Defense News 23 February 2017, "We will not make any formal request for the Advanced Hawk to HAL, and the program will be officially shelved. This is because the MoD does not want [to] give additional orders for engines to tainted Rolls-Royce for the Advanced Hawk program…"IAF has no intentions to place any order for the Advanced Hawk trainers."
With its increased thrust towards technology development, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited achieved a milestone February 7, 2018 with the first flight of Hawk-i with indigenous Real Time Operating System (RTOS) developed by it. It is the first indigenous RTOS that had been developed in the country from scratch. It is also the first instance that an indigenous RTOS has been certified by CEMILAC, said Mr. T. Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL.
The RTOS is the system software which provides a standard run-time environment for real-time applications execution in a safe and reliable manner. “The RTOS is a key technology for concurrent execution of multiple applications and optimal use of hardware resources which is of paramount importance for increased complexity of modern avionics software”, Mr. Raju added. Advanced modules like network stack and file system have been co-developed with IIT- Kharagpur which also carried out formal method based verification of the RTOS kernel.
Currently, avionics systems in India are developed using commercial RTOS procured from foreign suppliers. The import of technology leads to high cost, provides very limited flexibility in incorporating new features and adaptation to new hardware platforms. The imported RTOS may also be vulnerable to cyber-attacks which may compromise the safety and security of the avionics system. To overcome this dependency and achieve self-reliance, HAL had taken up the onus of designing an indigenous RTOS for safety-critical and mission-critical avionics systems.
The HAL-RTOS provides a comprehensive feature set based on international specification - ARINC-653 - to support Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architecture. Key features include address, space and time partitioning, priority pre-emptive process scheduling and health monitoring. The RTOS performance has been validated on the Mission Computer of HAL’s Hawk-i trainer aircraft. The complete Operational Flight Program, which includes real-time sensor data processing, navigation algorithm computations, controls and display management and interface management was ported and the RTOS was able to meet all its design requirements during the flight.
India filed a graft case 23 May 2023 against Britain’s BAE Systems plc and Rolls-Royce Holdings for “criminal conspiracy” in the procurement and licensed manufacturing of 123 advanced jet trainers. The case was based on the findings of an investigation launched by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2016. The manufacturers of the trainer jet paid commissions to middlemen, in violation of Indian defence contract rules. The middlemen helped them get the contracts by using “undue influence” on government officials. Rolls-Royce India and its officials entered into a criminal conspiracy with unknown officials from the defence ministry and two middlemen between 2003 and 2012 for contracts linked to the trainer jets.
Rolls-Royce said on 29 May 2023 that it was continuing to assist the Indian authorities in their investigation and that the allegations being probed were disclosed in 2017 when it paid a fine to British authorities. “Rolls-Royce today is a fundamentally different business. We will not tolerate business misconduct of any sort and are committed to maintaining high ethical standards,” a spokesperson for the blue-chip company told Reuters via email. In 2012, Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) launched an investigation into Rolls-Royce for payments linked to transactions with countries including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Rolls-Royce paid a fine of 497 million pounds ($614.19m) to settle the case with the SFO in 2017.
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