New Delhi, Sept 03: Government today decided to acquire 66 `Hawk` Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) from British Aerospace at a total cost of Rs 8,000 crore. The government also decided to acquire executive jets for VVIP use for the Indian Air Force and the Union Home Ministry from the Embraer Company of Brazil.

Out of the 66 AJTs, 24 will be procured from the British company in a "flyaway condition" and the remaining 42 will be produced in India by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, defence secretary Ajay Prasad told a press conference after the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the proposal.
The decision to acquire AJTs "fulfils one of the long standing needs of the Indian Air Force", he said, adding that each aircraft would cost approximately Rs 85 crore.
The defence secretary said the total package of Rs 8,000 crore includes the cost of training of pilots, cost of transfer of technology, creation of infrastructure facilities, the licence fee and the cost of production of the aircraft by HAL.
While the delivery of the aircraft would begin within 35 months of signing of the contract, all the 66 AJTs are expected to be available to the IAF before the end of six years, Prasad said.
The proposal to acquire AJTs for the IAF was first taken in 1984.
Till the new aircraft are in place, IAF pilots will be sent to the UK for training, he said.
On the delivery of the five executive jets from the Brazilian company, Prasad said the first batch of three aircraft will be made available in 19 months from the signing of the contract and the rest in three months after that.
These aircraft, which would cost Rs 727 crore, would be equipped with "a self-protection suite" -- a safety feature to enable them face any attack including missiles, he said, adding the suite will be purchased by the IAF from the US and integrated by the Brazilian manufacturer in the aircraft.
The suite would be similar to the one fitted in the `Air Force One` aircraft used by the United States President, he said.
The aircraft would be 14-seater in VIP configuration.
Of these five Embraer executive jets, four will be attached with VVIP communication squadron of IAF and one will be given to the border security force under the Union Home Ministry.
Bureau Report