The Indian Air Force has initiated the process to acquire 150 next-generation advanced jet trainers to strengthen the final stage of fighter pilot training before pilots move to operational fighter squadrons.
The IAF has floated a Request for Information (RFI), marking the initial stage of the procurement process. The proposed aircraft will serve as Stage-III trainers and are intended to eventually replace the Hawk Mk-132 advanced jet trainers that have been the principal Stage-III training aircraft of the IAF since their induction in 2008.
The new trainers will serve as the final link in the IAF’s fighter pilot training pipeline. At this stage, trainee pilots will be prepared for the complex demands of modern air combat before progressing to frontline aircraft such as the Sukhoi-30MKI, Rafale and Tejas, as well as future platforms including the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The aircraft are expected to provide pilots with experience in systems and operational concepts closer to those encountered on modern fighter aircraft. These include airborne radar operations, electronic warfare systems and beyond-visual-range missile employment.
Both Indian and international aircraft manufacturers will be eligible to respond to the RFI. The process will subsequently move towards a Request for Proposal (RFP), under which shortlisted manufacturers will submit detailed technical and commercial proposals based on the IAF’s finalised requirements.
The RFP is tentatively expected to be issued in December 2027. Deliveries are planned to be completed within 60 months of the effective date of the contract. Based on the proposed timeline, the first aircraft could reach an IAF training base only by the mid-2030s.
The procurement is also expected to have a significant indigenous manufacturing component. Foreign manufacturers participating in the programme will have to demonstrate the extent to which production, technology and supply-chain activities can be brought to India.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is expected to be the principal Indian contender. Potential international participants could include manufacturers such as Italy’s Leonardo, Korea Aerospace Industries, Boeing and Russia’s Yak.
Aircraft that successfully clear the technical evaluation will undergo field trials in India before the final selection. The contract is expected to be awarded to the lowest technically compliant bidder in accordance with the procurement process.
The IAF is seeking considerably more advanced capabilities from the new aircraft than those currently available on the Hawk Mk-132. The proposed trainer is required to feature fly-by-wire flight controls and a modern glass cockpit with configurable hands-on-throttle-and-stick controls.
The aircraft will also be required to have navigation systems integrating India’s NavIC satellite navigation system alongside GPS and GLONASS. The RFI further specifies zero-zero ejection seats, which are designed to provide pilots with an escape capability even when the aircraft is stationary or at very low altitude.
Another important requirement is high flight-control safety and recoverability. The proposed aircraft should be resistant to departures from controlled flight and capable of automatically recovering to controlled flight if the pilot releases the controls.
The IAF’s existing training ecosystem includes the HJT-36, renamed Yashas at Aero India 2025, which has been under development for around two decades. The aircraft has undergone extensive development work to address its handling characteristics.
HAL has also proposed the supersonic HLFT-42 as a potential successor to the Hawk. The aircraft was showcased as a scale model at Aero India 2023, although it has yet to reach the critical design review stage.
The proposed acquisition of 150 advanced jet trainers is aimed at ensuring that the IAF has a modern and capable training platform available as its fighter fleet evolves. With increasing emphasis on advanced sensors, electronic warfare, network-centric operations and long-range weapons, the Stage-III training phase is expected to play an increasingly important role in preparing pilots for India’s next generation of combat aircraft.
