FGFA Tops Russian Defense Minister’s Agenda In India

The Fifth- Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project is expected to be top priority in talks between the Russian Defense Minister and Indian counterpart to be held on Wednesday at New Delhi.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoygu will arrive here tomorrow on a three-day visit to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar and review the ongoing cooperation and future prospects in the defence sector.

One of the most important deals in the works between India and Russia at present is the FGFA. A Russian team was in the national capital last month to discuss the deal and iron out any differences.

The basic prototype of the plane is already flying and the Indian version had just a few variations, hence a full-fledged R&D contract would be a waste of time and resources, official sources were quoted as saying by Economic Times.

The preliminary design agreement on the FGFA had been signed in 2010 between HAL and the Russian Sukhoi Design Bureau to build the jet for use by both countries.