 |
| Prototype of the Russian PAK FA Fighter |
By Franz-Stefan Gady
A contract for the delivery of the aircraft might be signed this month.
A collaboration contract for joint work and delivery of 154 Perspective Multirole Fighter (PMF), the derivative Indian version of the PAK FA T-50 fifth generation fighter jet, is expected to finally be signed during the Indo-Russian summit this December, The Financial Express reports.
The agreement, which already was supposed to have been signed this July, includes a fixed order of 154 aircraft, a definite work share commitment, and a detailed order of the number of single- versus double-seat PMF (aka Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) fighter planes. According to the draft agreement, the aircraft will be built in India, but all of the components will be manufactured in Russia.
Additionally, the contract will likely include specifications regarding the 40 changes that the Indian Air Force (IAF) wants in comparison to the current T-50 prototype such as the aircraft’s AL-41F1 engine and its stealth and weapon-carrying capability.
As I reported previously (See: “What’s the Status of the Indian-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Jet?”), in early 2007 India and Russia agreed to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter jet. Unfortunately, the program has been plagued by delays, cost overruns, and unsteady technology; which, among other things, has affected the IAF’s plan to increase the number of combat squadrons from currently 32 (some sources say 35) to 42 by 2027 (See: “India’s Air Force Will Field 42 Combat Squadrons by 2027”).
Read the full story at The Diplomat