India Pilatus PC-7 trainer aircraft deal could expand to 200 aircraft

20 Jun 2011

1

Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft may be all set to sign a record deal to supply 75 of its successful PC-7 Mk-II trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force. The deal, reportedly, is worth 850 million francs ($1 billion), a press report said Saturday.

Pilatus PC-7 MK-IIThe daily Le Temps, which described the contract as the biggest in the company's history, said it could eventually grow in size to supply 200 of the single-engine turboprop aircraft.

So far Pilatus has declined to comment on the report.

India invited offers by manufacturers for a new basic trainer two years ago. The intermediate stage jet trainer needs are currently being met by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's Kiran Mk-II or BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs).

The procurement of the new aircraft assumed urgency with the grounding of the piston-powered HAL HPT-32 Deepak fleet in July 2009, following 17 crashes.

Seven companies responded to India's urgent request for information, of which five were invited for trials and were issued with a request for proposals. These five included EADS PZL-130 Orlik TC-II, Grob G-120TP, Hawker Beechcraft T-6C and Korean Aerospace Industries KT-1B.

Business History Videos

History of hovercraft Part 3...

Today I shall talk a bit more about the military plans for ...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of hovercraft Part 2...

In this episode of our history of hovercraft, we shall exam...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of Hovercraft Part 1...

If you’ve been a James Bond movie fan, you may recall seein...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of Trams in India | ...

The video I am presenting to you is based on a script writt...

By Aniket Gupta | Presenter: Sheetal Gaikwad

view more