Indian Air force says no to Gen V Russia-made fighter jets

[hassamun]

The Indian Air Force (IAF) wants the government to junk a Rs 2 lakh crore deal with Russia for buying 127 fifth generation fighter aircraft, pointing out their “very high cost.” It doesn’t want them also because their maintenance cost will be very high alike the maintenance and upkeep of the Sukhoi-30 planes in the last 20 years.

Instead, the IAF has pressed for the DRDO’s ‘Make in India’ project of developing a similar fighter planes categorised as Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. It has conveyed its reservation to the defence ministry even as a government panel pressed for going ahead with the programme of acquiring the Russian jets that will be inducted only from 2026 onwards.

Sources in IAF said it has also raised objection on the stealth technology being provided in the fighter aircraft as it is not as advanced as on other contemporary aircraft. The ball is now in the defence ministry’s court as it has to weigh this against the recommendation of the Air Marshal S. Varthman-headed panel to go ahead to co-produce the planes with Russia.

http://www.freepressjournal.in/indi...-no-to-gen-v-russia-made-fighter-jets/1131019