Indian Air Force : News, Pics and Discussion thread

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 3 :A team from Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau and Irkut gave a detailed classified presentation to the Defence Ministry on Thursday on its fifth generation fighter concept, but discrepancies have already begun to surface between New Delhi and Moscow over the proposed multi-billion dollar joint programme to develop and produce advanced stealth fighters for both countries in the next decade.

In essence, South Block has communicated to Moscow that the Russian fifth generation fighter programme, designated PAK-FA, is already at an advanced stage of design, which effectively negates the aspect of ‘‘joint-development’’ and has asked it to come up with a more ‘‘equal’’ proposal. The Sukhoi-led consortium’s concept, based on the PAK-FA, is being pitched vigorously to India as part of a protocol signed by the two countries in 2004 to build a fifth generation fighter.

In fact, the government plans to tell Moscow in December at the sixth meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Government Commission that if billions of dollars are to flow from the Indian side for the joint project, Moscow needs a partner because its budget will not allow it to develop alone, then the IAF and HAL must be on board from scratch, so that the aircraft platform incorporates IAF operational needs as well.

At the most basic level, the wish-list that the IAF has for a fifth generation fighter, which should ideally begin flying operationally between 2015-2020, includes comprehensive stealth, a single engine , supercruise capabilities, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) combat radar and swing-role capabilities.

The prototype aircraft of Tejas, PV3, had its flawless maiden flight today.

It is the fifth light combat aircraft to take to the skies, joining the fleet of two technology Demonstrators (TD1 and TD2) and two proto vehicles (PV1 and PV2), according to the Aeronautical Development Agency, which comes under the Ministry of Defence.

"The perfect maiden flight is a result of maturity gained in development of various systems, building of the aircraft to better and better quality, and thorough ground testing," an ADA statement said.

The LCA programme, in spite of all the setbacks it had due to US sanctions, has moved forward and has completed more than 570 flights, ADA said. Eleven Test Pilots from IAF who have flown and evaluated these aircraft have adjudged the handling qualities as one of the best in its class.

The aircraft, having proved as a good flying platform, is now getting converted into a good weapon platform, with the integration and testing of various weapons and sensors planned over the next 18 months, the statement said.