India begins efforts to join French-led sixth-generation fighter jet programme

New Delhi: India has formally initiated efforts to join a sixth-generation fighter aircraft development programme spearheaded by the French government, the defence ministry informed a parliamentary panel.

While India is going alone for the development of a fifth-generation fighter jet under the AMCA programme, a view is emerging that for futuristic sixth-generation fighters, a collaborative partnership would be more feasible, given the development costs involved and technology required.

Responding to a query by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence about future programmes, the defence ministry said it has “initiated efforts in a concerted manner” to join hands with France for co-development of a next-generation combat aircraft.

Read more: Dassault CEO says FCAS fighter project ‘dead’ if Airbus refuses to co-operate

In an earlier parliamentary report, the ministry mentioned it was considering two global options for next-generation fighter jets – a French-German consortium, and another involving UK-Italy and Japan. This now appears to have been singled down to the French option.

“The Ministry of Defence has initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join the 6th-generation Fighter Aircraft Development Programme Viz Future Combat Air System (FCAS) spearheaded by the French Government,” MoD said.

Notably, the French FCAS programme with Germany for sixth- generation fighters was cancelled this June after serious differences emerged on the direction of its development. As reported by ET, the collapse of the Franco-German plan has opened up an opportunity for India and France to jointly work on a sixth-generation combat aircraft under a new partnership. Preliminary discussions on the matter were undertaken at the defence ministers’ level earlier this year, even as France and India negotiate a deal to manufacture Rafale fighter jets in India as well as co-development of fighter jet engines.

Read more: Franco-German FCAS fighter jet talks stall as mediators fail to resolve dispute

Discussions for a possible collaboration on sixth-generation fighters figured prominently in talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin this February. The FCAS project first emerged in 2017 between France and Germany, but it couldn’t proceed beyond the drawing board stage due to differences in approach by stakeholders like Airbus and Dassault.