India, Russia to restart talks on fighter jets

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30

Despite India and Russia still having ‘serious’ differences over the joint development of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), the two-sides are set to immediately re-commence the stalled negotiation process on the plane. Talks have been stalled for the past two years.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will take up the issue with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu at the annual meeting of the two ministers in Moscow, sources have indicated. Senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officers will be part of Parrikar’s delegation.

Parrikar has left for Russia and will be meeting the Russian minister on November 2.

Before that, he will visit St Petersburg on the north-west coast of Russia. He will be visiting the Admiralty shipyard that makes submarines and also runs a state-run research centre. Though the IAF had a demand of some 127 FGFAs, it has halved its demand to have just three squadrons (around 18 planes in each). It was first reported in The Tribune in its edition dated August 11.

There are two parts to the FGFA project. One is the research and development (R&D) contract for $11 billion for long-term development of the jet. It has been pending ratification since 2013. The second is the actual joint-production or manufacturing of the plane. The preliminary design stage of the FGFA programme was completed in June 2013 and India has so far spent Rs 1,483.15 crore on it.

As a result, the T-50 fighter jet has been built for the Russians under its PAK-FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) programme for the FGFA. The jet is already test-flying and is slated to be inducted into the Russian air force in 2016.

New Delhi wants a more powerful engine; a greater share in the joint-production and is looking to get some of the planes in an off-the-shelf deal and not wait longer as its fighter-jet fleet is dwindling.

New Delhi is likely to suggest to Moscow that the T-50 fighter jet could be supplied to the IAF while the research to improve upon the aircraft could be carried on simultaneously.