New Delhi. India inked a deal October 12 to buy 194 microlight aircraft from Pipistrel, a Slovenian light aircraft manufacturer. The contract was signed by Pipistrel CEO, Mr Ivo Boscarol and the Indian Government officials (Ministry of Defence) in New Delhi.

The aircraft to be acquired would be a variant of the Pipistrels Virus SW 80/100 microlight. The aircraft to be provided to Indian users has been specially tweaked to meet the buyers requirements. Sources told India Strategicthe aircraft will carry the name SW-80 Garud in India. Pipistrel was selected as the winning bidder in the tendering competition amongst eleven international Original Equipment Manufacturers Authorized Vendors. The deal was inked after four years of protracted field evaluation trials and contract negotiations with Slovenian company meeting all the requirements put forth by the Indian customer. In India these aircraft will be operated by the IAF (72), Indian Navy (12), and the NCC (110). The design chosen by the respective Indian parties is a two-seat trainer, capable of take-off and landing on prepared as well as semi-prepared surfaces. Made from advanced carbon-fibre composite materials it is capable of carrying 2 crew members and their equipment. Pipistrels Virus SW 80 Garud was thoroughly tested and had successfully cleared evaluations at the Field and Maintainability Evaluation Trial, which was carried out in India. Pipistrels CEO Mr Ivo Boscarol says: With more than a quarter of century the ideal partner to IAF, IN and NCC. Our Virus SW 80 Garud, which was carefully configured to suit and fulfil the requirements of all ordering parties, is a culmination of advanced design, state-of-the-art composite construction and modern digital avionics, forming a 21st century basic trainer solution any operator would envy. I am proud and delighted that our product emerged as the winning proposal amongst fierce international competition and I look forward to learning about many new pilots that will have taken to the skies in the Garud. The aircraft is powered by an 80 HP aviation certified engine and can reach a maximum speed of more than 220 km/h, fly for more than 3 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 6,000 meters. The aircraft has high glide ratio of 17:1 and can glide further in emergency than most aeroplanes in its class. The aircraft would provide cost-effective solutions for ab initio flying training, surveillance, aerial photography and high-altitude operations. The aircraft can also be adapted for Special Missions including Visual/IR camera gimbals, geographical surveys, trans-oceanic flights etc. The aircraft could be economically used for bird watching duties to enhance safe operations over and around the military airfields. As a testament to safety, Pipistrel equipped the aircraft designed to be used for training of Flight Safety and Air Wing Cadets with a special Ballistic Parachute Rescue System and several other safety enhancing features, such as energy attenuation seats and a KevlarTM reinforced cockpit cell. To ensure uninterrupted and smooth operation of the Garuds, Pipistrel will equip IAF, IN and NCC with spare engines, ground support equipment and tools, special multi-year spare parts packs, extended 10-year product support, as well as train a large number of aircrew and technical personnel with factory instructors. Pipistrel will also support its product with a single point Indian Contact during guarantee and Annual Maintenance Contract periods. The delivery of first batch of aircraft is scheduled to take place 12 months after the signing of the contract, with all 194 aircraft commissioned within a period of three years. Pipistrels Garud will operate at 111 different locations spread across India. The total cost of the project is estimated to be around `130 crore ($20 million +) Pipistrel was established in 1987 by Mr Ivo Bascarol and based at Adjovscina in Slovenia, then part of Yugoslavia. Due to legal restrictions imposed by the Yugoslavian Government during the 1980s, flying alternative and ultra-light aircraft was illegal. This led to the first aircraft being flown secretly in the evening, between dusk and dark. The flying times and shape of the hang-glider style wings earned the aircraft the nickname bats which was adopted by the company naming themselves after the Latin word for bat, pipistrellus. Pipistrel was the first private aircraft company in Yugoslavia. Till date, Pipistrel has produced well over 1,300 different aircraft which fly in more than 80 countries on all continents. With the widest product range of Light Sport Aircraft, Pipistrelwon the title of Europes most innovative company in 2010 by EBA and claimed the 2011 NASA Green Flight Challenge with Worlds first all-electric four-seater Taurus G4. The latest flagship Panthera is the only General Aviation four-seater available with a conventional, hybrid and all electric powertrains. With the rising demand of its products, Pipistrel is building a new factory in Italy near the town of Gorizia. According to Mr Boscarol they are also in advanced stages of consultations with the Chinese authorities to build another factory in China in the very near future. When queried by India Strategic, Mr Bascarol was also upbeat on the prospect of establishing a similar manufacturing unit in India as well, possibly through a local partnership.