India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is locked in a stand-off with the Indian Air Force (IAF) over how to meet its long delayed requirement for 181 basic trainer aircraft (BTA). The IAF is committed to license-building 106 Swiss Pilatus PC-7 Mk Ⅱ tandem-seat basic turbo-trainers - a follow-on order to the 75 it acquired in 2012 for USD 1 billion. The MoD is equally committed to the indigenous development of a BTA: a programme, however, that is nowhere near completion. The new BTA will replace the IAF's fleet of 180-200 locally built Hindustan Piston Trainer 32 (HPT-32) aircraft that were grounded in July 2009 following a number of accidents. The IAF is seeking MoD approval to acquire 10 of the 106 PC-7s in fly-away condition, 28 in semi-knocked-down kit form and to assemble the remaining 68 at its Base Repair Depot in Sulur, southern India.
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