Article Posted on : - Oct 12, 2014

Hawk aircraft. Photo: Aircraft Division, HAL.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Defence Ministry has issued a fresh tender for buying 20 Hawk trainer aircraft for around Rs 2,000 crore after the original file related to the procurement went missing leading to delays in the acquisition process.

A fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued to the state-owned HAL for procuring 20 additional Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft for Air Force's Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT), Defence Ministry sources said here.

The original file related to the tender had gone missing and the process had to be restarted by the Government, they said.

The defence ministry has taken a serious view of the lapses on part of the officials handling the file and an inquiry has been ordered, officials said.

Disciplinary proceedings would be initiated against officials who are found responsible for the lapses, they said.

India has, so far, placed orders for 123 Hawks with the British BAE Systems in two phases. The first order for 66 aircraft was placed by India in 2004, of which more than 40 have already arrived. The second order for 57 aircraft was placed in June last year.