As India continues to search for a fifth-generation aircraft for its Air Force, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a major offer regarding the Sukhoi Su-57 jet. Speaking to global news agencies on Thursday, Putin said Russia was willing to jointly develop and produce the Su-57, which comes with enhanced stealth capabilities, with India, while also sharing critical technologies.
The timing of the offer is crucial. Presently, the IAF does not have any 5th-generation fighters in its arsenal. Moreover, speculation of Pakistan soon acquiring China’s Shenyang J-35AE stealth fighters has raised concerns. India’s own project to develop an indigenous 5th-generation jet (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is currently under development and is expected to enter service only in the mid-2030s.
‘READY TO SUPPLY INDIA WITH SU-57’
In such a scenario, the IAF has been searching for a 5th-generation stealth fighter to bridge the gap.
“We are ready to supply India with this aircraft, to keep developing it. We don’t have any issues or limitations. The same goes for air defence systems,” Putin said, signalling Russia’s willingness to deepen defence ties with India.
In essence, the Russian President indicated that there were no limits to cooperation between the nations in the defence sector.
It also appeared to be a veiled dig at the West, which has previously imposed certain restrictions on technology transfer and access to sensitive software systems.
Putin, however, pointed out that Russia had previously offered India the opportunity to develop the Su-57 fighter jet jointly. It was around 2018 and was then known as the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project. India had backed out then.
“At one point, we proposed to our Indian friends to work together on this technology. But back then, our Indian friends said, ‘Go ahead on your own, and then we will see — maybe we’ll join’,” Putin said.
“The aircraft could have been our joint project. We built it independently, but we are ready to work with India in this field,” the Russian President further said.
WHY DID INDIA BACK OUT OF SU-57 PROJECT?
Russia’s premier fighter aircraft, the Su-57 offers high manoeuvrability, stealth capabilities, and modern avionics. Moreover, it is designed for multi-role combat missions against air, ground and maritime targets.
The Su-57 is placed alongside China’s J-35 and America’s F-35, as part of a small group of 5th-generation fighters in service presently.
Now, why did India back out of the project in 2018? New Delhi had previously shown interest in the Su-57 program. However, it didn’t go forward after the IAF concluded that the aircraft did not fully meet its operational requirements. Several reports at that time claimed that the IAF was not satisfied with its stealth characteristics. There were also disagreements over technology transfer.
But now, Putin seems to have ironed out the issues.
There is intense speculation in defence corridors that India may be reconsidering the Russian fighter jet over America’s F-35, which President Donald Trump had offered to India during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House last year.
The conflict in Iran has shown that aerial warfare has entered an era where detection will be a key differentiating factor.
A report in NDTV in February said India might order 40 Su-57 jets as a stopgap following the hostilities with Pakistan last year.
With Putin’s fresh proposal, it now remains to be seen if India inducts the top Russian stealth fighter jet in its arsenal.
– Ends
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