New Delhi: The Indian pilots will finally get to fly the Russian prototype of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) once the contract between New Delhi and Moscow on the joint development of futuristic combat jet is finalised.
Access to the Russian next-generation jet was one of the key sticking points between the two countries leading to the enormous delay in the project taking-off. Cost escalation and questions on serious technical deficiencies in the offer on plate were other breaking points.
The issue was resolved after intervention at the highest political level after officials failed to break the deadlock that had threatened to derail the much anticipated project that would have addressed Indian Air Force's requirement for a futuristic fighter jet. It is an important breakthrough as New Delhi had been trying to have a closer look at the Russian prototype (T-50) of PAK-FA on which the Indian version, called the Prospective Multi-Role Fighter (PMF), is based. Despite India paying $ 295 million for the preliminary design, Russia was not keen to share technical details of the prototype. Six prototypes of PAK-FA are currently flying. The project, which started in 2007, has now been resurrected. The projected cost agreed in 2011 was $10.5 billion.
01/07/16 Gautam Datt/India Today
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Access to the Russian next-generation jet was one of the key sticking points between the two countries leading to the enormous delay in the project taking-off. Cost escalation and questions on serious technical deficiencies in the offer on plate were other breaking points.
The issue was resolved after intervention at the highest political level after officials failed to break the deadlock that had threatened to derail the much anticipated project that would have addressed Indian Air Force's requirement for a futuristic fighter jet. It is an important breakthrough as New Delhi had been trying to have a closer look at the Russian prototype (T-50) of PAK-FA on which the Indian version, called the Prospective Multi-Role Fighter (PMF), is based. Despite India paying $ 295 million for the preliminary design, Russia was not keen to share technical details of the prototype. Six prototypes of PAK-FA are currently flying. The project, which started in 2007, has now been resurrected. The projected cost agreed in 2011 was $10.5 billion.
01/07/16 Gautam Datt/India Today
