India, Russia revive talks for fighter jet

Ajay Banerjee

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 10

In a major development that will provide Indian Air Force (IAF) with cutting-edge fighter jets, India and Russia today restarted talks on co-producing the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA).

The step comes after Moscow agreed to reduce India’s share of developmental costs to US $3.7 billion from earlier quoted US $5.5 billion. It will ensure technological know-how and three prototypes of twin-engine Sukhoi T-50 fighter jets that are being built under the PAK-FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) programme run by Russia as its FGFA.

It will be one of the superior planes in the world far out-pacing what China has. It combines stealth technology with super-maneuverability enabling it to penetrate deep into enemy territory and conduct bombing on ground, air and sea targets.

A Russian delegation is in India today to hold negotiations on the FGFA as well as the Kamov 226T helicopter project. The Ministry of Defence-owned Public Sector Undertaking, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has been selected as the partner for the Kamov project.

The talks had been stalled since January last year when Russian and Indian engineers had completed a preliminary design for the FGFA. India had objected to the high costs of research and development (R&D) and technology transfer issues. It had stopped short of signing a contract of US $11 billion (Indian share US $5.5 billion), arguing that the prototypes of the plane were already being flight tested in Russia and the Indian version had just a few variations, hence a full-fledged R&D contract of $11 billion was a waste of time and resources. The Russians have built five prototypes in single pilot version.

New Delhi has already pumped in US $295 million on the preliminary design, but was not getting assurance of technology transfer. The decision to revive the talks was taken as the new design is different from the existing prototypes used by the Russians. Also, it meant India will pay US $3.7 billion and get to do some part of the development. The work share has been calculated. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had asked to “iron out the wrinkles” and move ahead.

The code name of the project in India is Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF). IAF wants 127 of the T-50 planes and looks to build some of these in India and procure some directly from the Sukhoi. The Russian armed forces in January last year began to accept into service the first T-50 for testing and mass delivery of the aircraft is expected in 2016.

Also, the Russian delegation will hold talks with HAL for producing the twin-engine Kamov 226-T to replace the single-engine Cheetah/Chetak. The twin-rotor Kamov 226-T will also be used for armed reconnaissance, to direct artillery fire on enemy positions and fly in quick reaction teams for special missions. It has a flight ceiling of 18,700 feet.