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Journalism of Courage
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd HAL deserves all the praise that can be showered on them for the outstanding performance in designing the Intermediate Jet Trainer IJT, designated HJT-36, in less than two years and flying it to the stage of a demonstration before VIPs. The chief of air staff has given the aircraft a thumping endorsement by stating that 8220;I believe, professionally and technically, in the IJT we have a winner8221;, while announcing that the Indian Air Force has already placed orders for a dozen aircraft. The aircraft is expected to complete its test and evaluation schedule to enter service by 2005-06. Defence Minister George Fernandes has asked HAL to reduce the time taken to produce the 211 aircraft needed by the Indian Air Force to less than a decade.
HAL has been designing flying trainers for the air force since the late forties. The first jet trainer, the HJT-16 named 8220;Kiran8221;, entered service in late 1960s, and is scheduled for replacement by the HJT-36 in the coming decade. There is a lesson far deeper than what might appear on the surface in the formal inaugural flight of the indigenous HJT-36. It demonstrates our ability to have designed a medium performance jet trainer and have it flying in less than two years. At the other end of the spectrum, the indigenous state-of-the-art high-performance fighter, the LCA the Light Combat Aircraft is already flying.
