India steps up efforts to join France-led sixth-generation fighter programme
New Delhi, August 9. India has stepped up efforts to partner with France in the development of sixth-generation fighter aircraft under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), with the Defence Ministry telling a parliamentary panel that it is pursuing the collaboration in a “concerted manner”.
The development was highlighted in a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence tabled in Parliament on August 7. The report examined the government’s action on recommendations contained in the committee’s earlier 20th report.
According to the latest report, the Ministry of Defence has initiated efforts to join the sixth-generation fighter programme being led by the French government. The move comes as India seeks to ensure that its air power keeps pace with rapid advances in combat aviation technology.
The Defence Ministry informed the committee that two major international groupings are currently pursuing sixth-generation fighter programmes. One involves the UK, Italy and Japan, while the other brings together France and Germany.
The Indian Air Force is looking to associate itself with one of these programmes and begin work on acquiring a sixth-generation fighter at the earliest, the ministry told the panel. The objective is to prevent India from falling behind in the development of next-generation combat aviation capabilities.
The 31-member committee, chaired by BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh, has asked the Defence Ministry to submit a detailed status report on the development and acquisition of sixth-generation fighter aircraft. It has also sought a roadmap and tentative timeline for their induction into the Indian Air Force.
The panel emphasised that modern warfare is becoming increasingly air-centric and called for the technical upgrading of existing fighter aircraft to be accorded the highest priority. It also urged the government to accelerate planning for the development and acquisition of sixth-generation platforms to strengthen India’s capabilities in the air domain.
The committee has simultaneously sought an update on India’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter programme, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The Defence Ministry has invited proposals from three consortia for the manufacture of five AMCA prototypes.
The AMCA has already been designed, while discussions on its production are underway. The committee stressed that continued technological upgrades of existing aircraft are essential to enhance their combat effectiveness in view of evolving threats and rapid advances in fighter technology.
The term “generation” in fighter aircraft generally refers to major technological and capability breakthroughs that give pilots an advantage in detecting, tracking and engaging adversaries. Fifth-generation fighters, for instance, combine stealth, advanced sensors, networking and sophisticated software to make them harder to detect and track.
A new generation is generally considered to have emerged when a technological breakthrough cannot be effectively incorporated into an existing aircraft through upgrades or retrofitting, necessitating the development of a fundamentally new platform.
The evolution of fighter aircraft has progressed from first-generation subsonic jets in the mid-1940s to increasingly advanced generations, culminating in fifth-generation aircraft entering service in the 2000s. The US F-22 Raptor, which entered operational service in 2005, was the first fifth-generation fighter to enter service. India is now seeking to position itself for the next technological leap in combat aviation.
