India is ready to invest $25 billion in joint development of Russian-Indian fifth-generation fighter (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, FGFA) and plans to purchase 127 jets of the type, TASS reports with reference to Times of India and Indian Ministry of Defense.
So far the “future of FGFA project is unclear after implementation of the first contract (signed in December 2010) for development of the fighter’s detailed design worth $259 million”.
At present the country’s Ministry of Defense is trying to speed up the development of Russian-Indian fighter; the source believes that this may be connected with possible failure of negotiations for deliveries of 126 Rafale jets (manufactured by Dassault) to Indian air forces.
He believes that “New Delhi is willing to speed up the development of FGFA and put the first fighter of the type into service in one and a half year (instead of 94 months as was initially planned)”.
In this regard the Indian party “is ready to give up on the distribution of design and assembly works on parity basis, because this approach slows down the project”. “India is not insisting on assembling all the jets at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) enterprises and the Indian party agreed to operate single-seat version of the jet in order to lower the cost of the project and speed up the launch of the fighter’s mass production,” the source added.
PAK FA (T-50) is the Russian multi-role fifth-generation fighter developed by Sukhoi design bureau. The jet’s export version designated FGFA is being developed in cooperation with India.
The fighter performed its maiden flight on January 29th 2010. Production jets of the type will be assembled by KnAAZ (Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant), which is assembling the PAK FA prototypes. Production of a pilot batch of T-50 fighters intended for testing of weapons was started in 2013.
