PM Modi’s Russia visit: New, cheaper deal on Sukhoi fighter jets on the cards

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...fers-new-cheaper-deal-on-sukhoi-fighter-jets/

Russia has made a new offer on the delivery of Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) fighter jets to India under the joint fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) initiative.

Under the new offer, India will have to pay $3.7 billion, instead of $6 billion, for the technological know-how and three prototypes of PAK FA fighters. The proposal awaits a decision from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin for the annual India-Russia summit this week.


India and Russia had signed an inter-governmental agreement to co-develop and co-produce the FGFA in 2007, which was followed by the $295 million preliminary design contract in December 2010. Modelled on the successful Brahmos missile project, the project involves Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The overall FGFA project cost for making 127 single-seat fighters in India has been estimated to be around $30 billion.

The final design contract, under which both sides were to contribute an initial $6 billion each for prototype development and production, has not been signed between India and Russia so far. Meanwhile, Russia has gone ahead with the development of PAK FA and claims that it will enter service with the Russian Air Force in 2016, and enter serial production in 2017.

“Now that they already have the fighter, the Russians have made a revised offer to us. For $3.7 billion, they will give us all the technological know-how of making the fighter. We will also get three prototypes from them in that amount,” a senior defence ministry official said.

But the Indian Air Force (IAF) remains opposed to the idea. A senior IAF official said, “We are not in favour of the FGFA. The PAK FA fighter is too expensive at even this rate, and we are not sure of its capabilities.”

Sources said the Russian offer is driven by Moscow’s cash crunch and lack of firm orders with its defence industry.

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So, the airforce is not happy with anything.

 

[pmaitra]

This deal is better than the previous one.

I think IAF's main bone of contention is the lack of two seats in the PAK-FA.

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

This deal is better than the previous one.

I think IAF's main bone of contention is the lack of two seats in the PAK-FA.

I think iaf is being stubbon. They are reluctant to change from dual seat fighers to single seat one. Sooner or later with advanced avionics figher jets will be single seat or remotly operated.

 

[spikey360]

Who is this specific person in IAF? He has to be probed if he has links to Boeing/Northrop.

IAF is the exact opposite of Navy. Whereas Navy wants and expects everything indigenous, these people demand everything from foreign, preferably America. What a contrast.

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

Who is this specific person in IAF? He has to be probed if he has links to Boeing/Northrop.

IAF is the exact opposite of Navy. Whereas Navy wants and expects everything indigenous, these people demand everything from foreign, preferably America. What a contrast.

It's unlikely to be a specific officer, of course officers will have subtle bias and preferences but i think iaf as a whole is reluctant to change the operational preference and strategy of using twin pilots instead of one.. its more of a technical debate of advantages and disadvantages of twin vs single pilot.

 

[punjab47]

Lol 2 3 crore dollar too much but, rafale for 10x more is just right? Does rafale include lifetime French randis??

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We're close to ww3anyway and they're still dicking around with decades old equipment.

Turkey has closed the straits since 13th. By law turkey must either be at war or fearing aggression.

 

[Harinath]

God save our defense procurement..
there is already a depletion in squadron, there is no tech to build heavy modern fighter, still IAF does not want to go with an offer to make in India of such a high tech fighter? what is that they want then. We need to get the tech ASAP to make our own weapons indigenously, either by buying or developing. We have already seen what our R&D (DRDO and HAL) guys are capable of developing own weapons. They need to even consider out current and future benefits of any deal they are being offered....