The stalemate over the 4th-gen Rafale fighter jets deal with France has forced the Indian military to accelerate an even larger project with Russia on the joint development and purchase of an equal quantity of 5th-gen fighters.
India is now ready to invest $25 billion in the development and purchase of 127 fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft (FGFA). It will also make concessions to speed up the delivery of fighters and have the first ones available in 36 months instead of the previously envisaged 94 months.
The initial contract signed with Moscow implied a 50:50 design and production agreement to develop an Indian version of Russia’s Sukhoi T-50 (PAK-FA) 5G fighter jet. The $295-million preliminary design contract signed in December 2010 envisaged the creation of a two-seat version of the PAK-FA and preconditioned that all single-pilot fighters must be assembled in India. Now that the estimated number of Indian Air Force combat-ready squadrons has decreased sharply, New Delhi isn’t objecting to Moscow producing the first batch of perspective multi-role fighter FGFA at Russia.
The FGFA contract however will not replace the outgoing Rafale tender, as India is likely to replace it by buying a corresponding quantity of the Russian Sukhoi-30MKI fighters already being produced in India.
rt.com
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