Article Posted on : - Oct 04, 2011

An artist's rendition of a fifth generation fighter aircraft.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Air Force (IAF) will induct a total of 214 single and twin-seater variants of the advanced Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being developed jointly by India and Russia and likely to be inducted by 2017.

"We are looking for 166 single seater and 48 twin-seater versions of the aircraft," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne told reporters here.

He was asked to comment on the project which will be reviewed by India and Russia during Defence Minister A K Antony's meeting with his Russian counterpart A E Sardyukov in Moscow.

He said the contract was in the preliminary contract stage and was expected to involve more efforts by two sides when it enters design phase next year.

"By 2012, negotiations will start for the design phase of the aircraft," he said.

The IAF Chief said India would also discuss basing air force, Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAL) and DRDO teams in Russia to monitor the progress of the joint venture project.

He said by 2017 the first lot of the aircraft was expected to join the IAF and that will depend on the progress of tests and trials of the aircraft.

Commenting on the international commitments of the IAF, Browne said it will hold aerial war games with the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) from October 14 at the Jamnagar air base where the two sides will field their Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft.

Asked about its plans to take part in Red Flag exercise held in the US, Browne said participating in such war games involves a lot of effort as it was a trans-Atlantic affair.

He said the IAF will now go there in 2013 only. Red Flag is a US-led NATO exercise and India had taken part in it in 2008.