MMRCA To Be Shown Its Place This Week


On Tuesday afternoon, if there are no last-minute hitches (last heard, there are none), India and Russia will sign their largest, most expensive and ambitious defence agreement ever. The agreement will formalise the effort to co-develop and build what has come to simply be known as the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), specifically a twin-seat derivative of the Sukhoi PAK FA, currently under prototype flight as the T-50 (photo).

The agreement, expected to enshrine a deal valued at nearly $30-billion, will be signed between Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) on behalf of the Russian government and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd on behalf of the Indian Ministry of Defence.

For all the talk we’ve had of the strategic and/or political implications of choosing any one of the six platforms competing for India’s medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition, it simply pales in comparison to the scope of the FGFA programme and what it signifies both politically and otherwise. For all the talk we’ve had of India moving away from the Russians and looking to the west in a substantive way for the first time, the FGFA deal this week is, for some reason, like a huge monster tapping you on the shoulder, reminding you of what’s real. Forget the MiG-35.

President Dmitri Medvedev will also oversee the signing of a deal for 42 more Su-30MKIs and a joint venture agreement for the multirole transport aircraft (MRTA) on Tuesday. Stay tuned for lots of updates.

10 thoughts on “MMRCA To Be Shown Its Place This Week”

  1. Our HAL FGFA/PAK-FA could be world beater after 2020… With F-22(maintaince issues) and F-35 (quality issues) in trouble. As always Sukhoi will be robust and easy to maintain.
    It will also give HAL enough experience for developing AMCA

  2. The F-22 can't fly in a thunderstorm, and its sensor suite gets overwhelmed if it files over dense urban centers! This FGFA will be a rough and ready ship with deliberate compromises. Expect IAF to task this ship for deep strikes in concert with the Rambha. IAF is determined to be clear that the FGFA (I will call it Shiela – as in Shiela ki jawani!) will not be challenged in range, passive sensing, maneuverability and firepower, in the airspace between Bosporous and the Malaccas. Also in the future a significant part of the IAF fleet and aviators will become dual qualified for over-land + over-sea ops for jointness with the IN. The IN in turn is going to amp up its airpower to make it the biggest Naval airpower over the IO. Big plans are afoot, and we ain't seen nothing yet!

    Nabah Sparsham Deeptam, Shanno Varunah!

    kalpa

  3. Well, What can i say other than that I hate Putin.

    Russia lost its face in MMRCA and now he has regained it for her.

    Last we can do the "Brahmos" model and make sure no systems developed by us go in vain.

    This government has created a record in shaming India in front of all other countries and nobody can beat it.

  4. We are proud Indians, we will spend all our hard earned money on importing weapons from all over the world. India is like a golden bird that lays golden eggs, everyone wants a piece of this bird. I am afraid though that some of the people may be in a haste to completely fleece the bird. Slowly and surely we have been led into the quagmire of corrupt defence deals, inept defence minister and lumbering military. God help India, if you really exist.

  5. Wondering where our good friends India Defence Forum and Taxpayer are – busy receiving the Chinese delegation..i was expecting their comments first for this post implying how our adversary is better off even though we are getting the FGFA..that aside.. a great news for Indian forces.. i really hope that the delivery schedules for this project don't slip by " a few years" and hope that it on track right through the project. Great news..!!

  6. I agree with you AK. When our country has world's highest number of people below poverty line, it is simply criminal to splurge billions of $ in the name of "defense"? "Con"-I what about making good your promises to Aam Admi? Or you are too busy making hay thru these shady "defense" deals which involve billions of $ of kickbacks, as you know your coming to power in next elections is remote?

  7. Both Indian defence forum and taxpayer are pakistanis desparately posting on indian blogs to run indian armed forces, drdo etc down. But its a bit too obvious.

  8. A great deal , it will suerly give some relief after all the Chinese weapon hype.

    Russian are sharing their highest level technology with Indians. With almost no string attached, where as they can easily find funding from other richer countries.

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