Late on Thursday evening, in a triumph for the Russia-India defence relationship, the two countries signed off on a joint venture to co-develop a 15-20-tonne payload, 2,500-km range multi-role transport aircraft (MTA), which will replace the Indian Air Force’s venerable AN-32 at the end of the next decade.
But this path-breaking $600-million co-development of the MTA is likely to be dwarfed soon, when India and Russia each pledge $6 billion to co-develop the world’s premier fighter, a step ahead of the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, which currently rules the skies.
Senior defence ministry sources have confirmed to Business Standard that years of tortuous negotiations have been successfully concluded in time for Russian President Dimitry Medvedev’s visit to India in December. Russian and Indian negotiators have finalised a preliminary design contract (PDC), a key document that will allow designers from both sides to actually begin work on the fighter.
“The negotiators have done their job, and the Cabinet Committee for Security will consider the PDC, probably this month,” says the ministry official. “If the CCS gives the green signal, as is likely, the contract will be signed during Medvedev’s visit.”
HAL Chairman Ashok Nayak had indicated to Business Standard on a recent visit to HAL, Bangalore, that the deal was done. “It is in the system for approval,” said Nayak. “The respective work shares have been agreed to by both sides and once we sign the preliminary design contract, we will finish the design in about 18 months. Developing and building the fighter could take 8-10 years, and each side will pay $6 billion as its share.”
The Russian and Indian Air Forces each plan to build around 250 fighters, at an estimated cost of $100 million each. That adds up to $25 billion, over and above the development cost.
These astronomical figures prompted Russia into co-development with India. The inescapability of cost sharing was reinforced last year when the Pentagon was forced to shut down its F-22 Raptor programme. Since the technologies in the F-22 were deemed crucial to America’s technological superiority, the fighter was developed and built entirely within the US. As a result, its prohibitive cost — $340 million per fighter — forced the Pentagon to cap the programme at 187 fighters, just half what it planned to buy in 2006.
“If the US could not afford to go it alone on a fifth-generation fighter, Russia clearly cannot,” points out a senior Indian Air Force officer. “There was no choice but to co-opt India as a partner.”
Russia initially offered India partnership in the fighter programme around eight years ago, but there was little clarity then on crucial issues like work-share, ie, what systems and components each side would develop. From 2005-07, India’s growing closeness with the US slowed down the project. Progress received a boost from the Russia-India inter-government agreement in November 07.
But HAL sources recount that, even after the agreement, Russian negotiators’ concerns about sharing top-secret technologies meant that a green signal from Moscow was needed for every step of the negotiations.
“This is the first time that Russia is co-developing a cutting-edge military platform with another country. Therefore, they were unclear about how to share work in a top-secret project like this,” says a senior HAL official. “Before each step, the Russian officials wanted clearances from the highest level in Moscow. Those ‘presidential decrees’, as they call them, took their time.”
Consequently, says the HAL chairman, it has taken almost three years from the inter-government agreement to negotiate a general contract and non-disclosure agreement. In March 2010, a tactical technical assignment was signed, in which the work-shares were agreed upon.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau has built a basic fifth-generation fighter, which Russia terms the PAK-FA, an acronym for Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks Frontovoi Aviatsy (literally Prospective Aircraft Complex of Frontline Aviation). A prototype, tailored to Russian Air Force requirements, made its first flight in January 2010.
India’s work-share for the joint fighter programme, according to HAL officials, will amount to about 30% of the overall design effort. This will centre on composite components and high-end electronics like the mission computer, avionics, cockpit displays and the electronic warfare systems. Additionally, India will have to redesign the single-seat PAK-FA into the two-seater fighter that the IAF prefers. Like the Sukhoi-30MKI, IAF prefers one pilot flying and the other handling sensors, networks and weaponry.
What's to criticize in this deal? Is there any other country in the world besides Russia that will give India the chance to partner in developing a 5th generation fighter? Six billion dollars is not expensive. No price can be put on the experience that HAL designers will gain.
The Russians are going to regret this partnership as India's share of development gets delayed, much like how the Tejas got delayed. They've effectively doubled the development time of the aircraft thanks to Indian involvement.
Mouth watering offer by Russia. That is great. Another 20 years will bypass by the time the fighter plane is out. Vikramaditya's hiccups may be repeated. US will come out with 6th generation.
Even for a purchase of reconnaissance aircraft from US, HAL scientists are satisfied if offer to just make a door for the aircraft. If India can make missiles and land on the moon why can not make an aircraft.
Indians are not against international collaboration. Joint venture is not only good for India but also for the collaborating countries. May be scientists are not pooled and encouraged!
Its a collosal WOMBAT. Waste of Money, Brain and Time.
The nature of war has changed, India must reralize it as its the biggest victim of the new war methods.
The new age fighting will be done with drones, if Iran can fly one, why can't India.
Posted by: robinhood pandey
September 13 , 2010, 04:03 IST
Mr. Abhinav you might be lacking in the skills and information about the War or in other words FULL SCALE COMBAT OPERATION. A full scale war can not be fought without supreme AIR-FORCE . And about Drones i would like to put this information here that India has over 300+ drones and India has its very own developed Nishat as a drone better than Iran's . India is working closely with Israel to gain technology to built advanced drones as compare of US predator with HELL FIRE missiles .
thank you
jai hind
Posted by: echelon
September 12 , 2010, 14:30 IST
All-capable drones are still a long long way off..right now they are used for recon and (some for) attacking ground based targets...you wont be achieving air-superiority with a drone...at least not in the near term.
Posted by: Jit
September 12 , 2010, 11:57 IST
Abhinav, a couple of points that you are missing here.
1) Drones will NOT replace planes completely. As such, this is great news. Most countries that
have drones or are in the process of building them maintain both planes and drones.
2) A drone development effort is currently underway in India.
3) The capabilities of the Iranian drone are not yet known completely. I would be a little skeptical
about that.
Posted by: Ratheesh. R
September 12 , 2010, 10:11 IST
Dont just think that drones can take over the role of manned fighters any time soon. for drones to operate there needs to be systems in place especially space for real time operations, which clearly Iran lacks, and even with India it is a bit far. so atleast for another 15-20 years the manned fighters are there to stay while drones evolve to maturity.
Posted by: jako
September 12 , 2010, 09:40 IST
GO India & Russia PAKFA/FGFA will be great plane and game changer on the international level.
Commercially plane without any competition on the market - that will help sales!
@Abhinav
If that is the true than US would stop F-35 development long ago and build drones (cause much cheaper).
The problem is that drones still can't do many things the way piloted planes do.
So if U.S. can't build such performance in drones it is more than SURE that India can't even much less.
Posted by: Dvijay
September 12 , 2010, 09:11 IST
India is developing drones of it's own. Check Aurora. Irani drones are a long way from being used operational. Either way drone technology anywhere in world isn't mature enough to replace manned planes which will rule the skies for decades to come.
Content Guide
