IAF reduces demand for two-seater FGFAs
27 Nov 2012 6:17 AM IST
Indian Air Force (IAF) may have brought down the number of two-seater fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) to be built jointly with Russia. Earlier, the IAF had wanted more of the variant in terms of numbers. But a top IAF official refused to confirm as the negotiations are ongoing on the contract. The IAF top official also said, ‘An extra cockpit means extra material and metals, which reduces the stealth factor.’
India is also funding the development of a new engine for the aircraft. The IAF official stated that the delivery of the first batch of aircrafts to be made by 2017 – plus or minus one year. But he also added that since there is a need for certification both at the Russian end for the part of the work they undertook, and also at the Indian end for the components made here, the date of delivery could stretch up to 2019.
The size of the order now stands over 270 aircrafts. The top IAF official emphasised that the aircraft will mostly be made at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) here as the work-share arrangement that is being negotiated includes 50 per cent of the build be undertaken in the country. ‘This of course does not mean that they do 50 per cent of the undercarriage, while we do the rest,’ joked the official.
India will be providing the 25 per cent of weight of the aircraft through provisioning of the composites (radar evading non-metallic materials) and also the avionics, including software.
Considering the fact that the Chinese have already developed their own FGFA, J-20, has already been undergoing flight trials, there is a sense of urgency in the Russia-India joint effort. The Chinese have become the second nation after the United States to develop a FGFA from ground up.
The IAF official said that the total number of aircrafts required by the force is not fixed because of a possible situation that the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) being on the drawing boards of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) does not come through. The official asserted, ‘Please remember that the aircraft is going to be made here (HAL)? So we can have any number of aircrafts.’
India is also funding the development of a new engine for the aircraft. The IAF official stated that the delivery of the first batch of aircrafts to be made by 2017 – plus or minus one year. But he also added that since there is a need for certification both at the Russian end for the part of the work they undertook, and also at the Indian end for the components made here, the date of delivery could stretch up to 2019.
The size of the order now stands over 270 aircrafts. The top IAF official emphasised that the aircraft will mostly be made at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) here as the work-share arrangement that is being negotiated includes 50 per cent of the build be undertaken in the country. ‘This of course does not mean that they do 50 per cent of the undercarriage, while we do the rest,’ joked the official.
India will be providing the 25 per cent of weight of the aircraft through provisioning of the composites (radar evading non-metallic materials) and also the avionics, including software.
Considering the fact that the Chinese have already developed their own FGFA, J-20, has already been undergoing flight trials, there is a sense of urgency in the Russia-India joint effort. The Chinese have become the second nation after the United States to develop a FGFA from ground up.
The IAF official said that the total number of aircrafts required by the force is not fixed because of a possible situation that the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) being on the drawing boards of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) does not come through. The official asserted, ‘Please remember that the aircraft is going to be made here (HAL)? So we can have any number of aircrafts.’
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