Article Posted on : - Oct 18, 2013

A model of Fifth Generation FighterAircraft (FGFA). Photo: HAL.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Not happy with its share of work in the multi-billion dollar Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project with Russia, India is expected to flag the issue with that country during Defence Minister A K Antony's visit there next month.

Though India is investing 50 per cent of the cost of the multi-billion dollar programme, its work share in the research and development and other aspects of the programme at the moment is only around 15 per cent, IAF officials said here.

The Defence Minister is expected to flag this issue during his Russia visit beginning November 15 as this will have an impact on India's indigenous capabilities to develop such an advanced fighter aircraft, they said.

The IAF expressed its objection over the issue at a CII event on energising aerospace sector in India.

"We have a major opportunity in the FGFA programme. At the moment it is not very much in favour of Indian development. We are flagging it through the Government. It should be much more focused towards indigenous development capability," IAF Deputy Chief Air Marshal S Sukumar said here.

The senior IAF officer was commenting on the programme and the opportunities that it could provide for the Indian defence sector.

The FGFA is a joint venture programme between India and Russia and its preliminary design phase was completed recently.

The programme is expected to cost over 1.5 lakh crore to the Government. The two sides are now in discussion over the main Research and Development part of the programme, which is expected to take another year to be concluded.

Commenting on the over Rs 60,000 crore deal for 126 multi-role combat aircraft, the IAF Deputy Chief said the deal was expected to be inked with French Dassault Aviation by the end of this financial year.

India has early last year selected French manufacturer of Rafale aircraft for its requirement 126 such aircraft.

On the tender for procuring 56 transport aircraft to replace the fleet of Avro aircraft, Sukumar said the public sector has not been barred from being part of it.

The tender says that foreign vendors, who received the Request for Proposal, have to partner with private Indian industry for the programme but the public sector can be part of the consortia with them. The PSUs are not barred from the tender, IAF officials said.

Recently, Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel had written to the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister raising objections over PSUs being barred from participating in the tender.

Sukumar said the IAF has extended the response time for the tenders by another two months to give time to the participants to firm up their proposals and look for partners.

Asked about the lack of efforts to develop engines in the country, he said the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) of the DRDO was making efforts to develop an engine for the indigenous advanced medium combat aircraft and has issued some Request for Information in this regard.