The Indian Air Force (IAF) has begun the long-pending search for a successor to its Hawk Mk-132 adva

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has begun the long-pending search for a successor to its Hawk Mk-132 advanced jet trainers, floating a Request for Information (RFI) for around 150 aircraft that will prepare its fighter pilots for the increasingly complex demands of modern air combat.

The Stage-III (F) trainers will be the final link in the training chain before pilots move to operational fighter squadrons. They will have to familiarise rookie pilots with airborne radars, electronic warfare systems and beyond-visual-range missiles before they graduate to frontline fighters such as the Rafale and Tejas and eventually the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

Trials will be conducted in India on a no-cost-no-commitment basis. The likely foreign contenders include Leonardo’s M-346 Master and Korea Aerospace Industries’ T-50 family. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s proposed HLFT-42 is the principal Indian option.