BY : PTI

Indian Air Force pilots have begun training on the new British-made Hawk jets that will be inducted into the force later this year.

Till last month, IAF pilots sent to the Valley airbase in Wales were being trained on the Royal Air Force's older generation of Hawk jets. A group of IAF instructors and test pilots from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is now being trained on the Hawks built for India by BAE Systems.

India has signed a 800-million pound deal with BAE to purchase 66 Hawk advanced trainers, which includes training of pilots. BAE Systems and the RAF will deliver a "Convex Flying Programme" to train IAF instructors and HAL's test pilots on the new Hawks.

Two courses of six IAF instructors will undergo training on the new Hawk jets between June and September, said a statement from BAE. Once the first Hawks are delivered to the IAF later this year, these instructors will be responsible for training other pilots.

Three of the 24 Hawks being built by BAE Systems are being used in the training programme. The remaining 42 jets will be made under licence in India by HAL. The first stage of the programme is ground school training at RAF Valley by BAE specialists. The IAF instructors will also undergo "orientation simulator sorties" on the Hawk Synthetic Training Facility at the airbase.

Following this, the instructors will be given sea survival training in Warton and avionics training in Brough before beginning flying training. Each IAF instructor will fly 15 sorties on the new Hawks before qualifying. A total of 75 IAF pilots were earlier trained on the RAF's older Hawk TMk1 jets.