Sukhoi and India plan to sign another contract in the framework of the joint project for the construction of a fifth generation multipurpose combat jet, Alexander Klementyev, a Sukhoi deputy director general told Itar-Tass.
“We hope the contract [for experimental design works] will be signed soon,” he was quoted as saying.
Indian and Russian government’s first signed the intergovernmental agreement on this project in 2007. Three years after, the sides inked a general contract on joint design and production and then the first engineering development contract. Works under this agreement were completed in 2013. “Since then, we have been working on the second contract for experimental design works,” Klementyev said, adding that this was a unique project aiming at long-term cooperation.
“We have never had such a format of cooperation before,” he said. “There used to be licensed production in China and in India, but now it will be joint designing and production of a new combat aircraft.”
The Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) or Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF) is a fifth-generation fighter being developed by India and Russia. An agreement on the project was signed in Moscow on October 18, 2007. The future aircraft will have a number of differences from its Russian prototype - the PAK FA fifth generation fighter - to adjust it to the requirements of the Indian Air Force, the report said.
The next step in the FGFA project is the signing the R&D phase of the project which is likely to cost $11 billion. India and Russia, in 2010, signed the preliminary design contract (PDC) worth $295 million under which Indian designers and scientists were even stationed in Russia to work out the blueprints and documentation for the fighter.
The IAF had initially planned to order 166 single-seat and 48 twin-seat fighters, but India’s chief of air staff said in October 2012 that New Delhi would now go for only 144 single-seat jets, with domestic production slated to begin in 2020.
Earlier this year, the Business Standard reported that the Indian Air Force criticised the FGFA project, alleging that the Russian side would be unable to meet their promises about its performance.
Russian Ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin rubbished the reports. “We pay no attention to negative publications that appear from time to time and claim that Russia does not fulfil its obligations under the fifth generation fighter aircraft programme,” he was quoted as saying. “Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation under this programme develops as scheduled, and we have not received any official complaints from the Indian side.”
Joint productions of all future projects is expected to be the new norm in Indo-Russian relations after Moscow last year offered to set up manufacturing facilities in the country for joint production of defence hardware. India and Russia agreed to set up manufacturing facilities in India for joint production of defence hardware during Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozins state visit to New Delhi last year
The progress of Indias futuristic fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project has fallen under dark clouds after Russia, with whom India is developing the fighter jet, hiked the cost of manufacturing the aircraft. The project could end up costing India over $35 billion over the next two decades from the original $30 billion for over 200 fighters
India may look at sealing the Russian stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) deal as negotiation on Rafale fighter MMRCA deal is still facing deadlock, Times of India reported today quoting unnamed sources close to the Defense Ministry. "Faced with continuing deadlock in the mega deal to acquire 126 French Rafale fighters, India is now pressing the throttle to seal the even bigger project with Russia for the stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA)," the newspaper reported
Russia is expecting to sign the contract with India for the research and development (R & D) stage of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project this year. “A contract for the R & D phase is being prepared and is expected to be signed this year,” Yuli Slyusar, President and Chairman of the Management Board of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)said during the Aero India Air Show
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