DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Fifth Gen Fighter Aircraft To Be Unveiled In India By 2014

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Fifth Gen Fighter Aircraft To Be Unveiled In India By 2014

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Zeenews.com
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 21, 2012:  The initial version of a fighter plane, being jointly developed by India and Russia and tipped to be one of the most-advanced in the world, will be unveiled in India in 2014. 

The Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with stealth features is slated to be inducted in the Indian Air Force by 2022. 

The two sides are close to signing a key contract expected to be worth over USD 11 billion for research and development phase of the project in the near future. 

"The first prototype of the FGFA is scheduled to arrive in India by 2014 after which it will undergo extensive trials at the Ojhar air base (Maharashtra)...We are hopeful that the aircraft would be ready for induction by 2022," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told a news agency.

The IAF Chief was in Russia in the second week of August where he reviewed the progress made in the programme and the prototypes of the aircraft developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau at Zhukovsky there. 

The second prototype will arrive in India in 2017 and the third prototype will arrive in 2019. Based on the experience of test-flights of the each prototype, the final version of the FGFA would be developed for operational service, Browne said. 

India plans to acquire 214 of these fighter planes by the end of 2030 at an estimated cost of over USD 30 billion. 

Russia has already developed three prototypes of the aircraft which are being used for carrying out test-flights. The aircraft will have stealth features and its size would be smaller than that of the frontline Su-30 MKI. 

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Zeenews.com
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India And Russia Aim To Fly Joint Fifth-Generation Fighter By 2017

India And Russia Aim To Fly Joint Fifth-Generation Fighter By 2017

(NSI News Source Info) February 6, 2009: India and Russia hope to induct their joint fifth-generation stealth fighter by 2017, with officials from both countries hoping to iron out their differences in the coming months and sign a development contract by mid-2009.

"There have been differences between the two air forces, as both have specific requirements," says M Fakruddin, director for corporate planning and marketing at Hindustan Aeronautics. HAL will lead the Indian side of the programme.

Russia and India agreed in early 2007 to jointly study and develop a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft Programme, FGFA. On October 27, 2007, NSI quoted Sukhoi's director, Mikhail Pogosyan, "We [India and Russia] will share the funding, engineering and intellectual property [of the new project] in a 50-50 proportion." The Indian version, according to the deal, will be different from the Russian version and specific to Indian requirements. While the Russian version will be a single-pilot fighter, the Indian variant will have a twin-seat configuration based on its operational doctrine which calls for greater radius of combat operations. The wings and control surfaces need to be reworked for the FGFA. Although, development work has yet to begin, the Russian side has expressed optimism that a test article will be ready for its maiden flight by 2012 induction into service by 2017.

"These issues will be sorted out soon and by the middle of the year we expect to start work so that the aircraft is inducted by 2017."

The countries began talks in 2007 to develop a fifth-generation fighter based on the Sukhoi PAK-FA, which Russia hopes will have its first flight by the end of 2009 and is pegged as a challenger to the Lockheed Martin F-22 and Lockheed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Last year HAL and Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport agreed to study the joint development of a fighter. Since then, however, there have been differences over the aircraft's design and New Delhi's level of involvement in the project.

"Two major issues must be resolved. India was asked to invest a lot of money, but is unhappy with the level of access to sensitive technology that the Russians plan to give in return.

In addition, the Indian air force is keen on a two-seat fighter, while Russia prefers to focus on a single-seater," says a New Delhi-based observer.

Sukhoi/HAL FGFA - HAL, UAC Sign Pact to Develop Fifth Generation Fighter Jet

Sukhoi/HAL FGFA - HAL, UAC Sign Pact to Develop Fifth Generation Fighter Jet (NSI News Source Info) January 4, 2009: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) inked a pact to jointly develop and produce a fifth generation fighter aircraft, a top HAL official said on Tuesday. "We (HAL and UAC) are moving forward as per schedule. We (have) just done the general contract yesterday. I went to Delhi and signed the general contract," HAL Chairman Ashok K Baweja said. HAL officials noted that under a preliminary inter-governmental agreement signed in October last year, the advanced multi-role fighter is being developed by Sukhoi, part of UAC, along with the Bangalore-headquartered defence PSU. According to reports, Russia and India would simultaneously develop two versions of the aircraft -- a two-seat version to meet the requirements of India and a single seat version for Russian Air Force. UAC had begun building a prototype of the jet fighter which would feature high manoeuvrability and stealth to ensure air superiority and precision in destroying ground and sea targets, reports said. Asked about the proposed investment in the venture, Baweja said it was very difficult to say at this stage and added: "It will be quite a lot". He told reporters on the sidelines of the celebrations of HAL Day that the Navratna company has put on the back burner its MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul of civil aircraft) venture plans at HAL airport following a slowdown in the world civil aviation market.