Indian basic trainer aircraft competition

The Basic trainer aircraft (BAT) procurement process started during the last quarter of 2009 when Indian air force issued a Request for proposal (RFP) on 16 December 2009 based on input received in response to a request for information issued earlier.

Request for proposal (RFP) called for 75 aircraft to be purchased "Off-the -self". The RFP stipulated that the aircraft should have been “recently certified.” The manufacturer was to deliver the first 12 aircraft within 24 months of the contract. The remaining trainers would follow in batches. Further the aircraft must have ejection seats.

A pre-bidders conference was held on February 2010. There after Seven Contenders namely M/s Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea; M/s Grob Aircraft, Germany; M/s PZL, Poland; M/s Hawker Beechcraft, United States of America; M/s Alenia Aermacchi, Italy; M/s Aerostar, Romania; and M/s Pilatus Aircraft, Switzerland submitted their Proposal by March 17. There after five aircraft participated in the Field Evaluation trials which were Hawker Beechcraft T-6C, Pilatus PC-7MkII,  Korean Aerospace Industries KT-1, EADS PZL-130 OrlikTC II and GropG 120TP.

The trials which started during September 2010 was initially planned to be held at the air force station at Tambaram, Chennai, but was shifted to Jamnagar where the climatic conditions were considered similar. The IAF had set up teams of test pilots and flight test engineers to evaluate the planes for a period of five days each till the end of October 2010.

During trial flight characteristics, handling qualities, fuel consumption, duration of sorties, ease of handling and operations, and available instrumentation of each contender was observed.

The Field Evaluation report were completed by December 2010 and the report was submitted to the defence ministry. Three companies – the Americans, Swiss and the Koreans passed trials. The Indian basic trainer competition then entered its final phase. Commercial bids of the three final contenders were opened in May 2011 and the lowest bidder among the shortlisted competitors was announced in June 2011 as M/s Pilatus. After negotiations, a proposal was sent to Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which cleared the transaction on 10 May 2012. Although there were some protest from Korean manufacturer. Finally $523-million, contract which included of supply 75 PC-7 Mk.2 propeller trainers and integrated ground-based training package was signed on 24 May 2012 with option of additional supply of 30 more aircraft within three years of contract signature.