Former Indian Air Force (IAF) Marshal Anil Chopra's recent suggestion to revisit the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program has ignited discussions within the defence community. However, credible sources within the industry have confirmed that there are no plans to reconsider the FGFA program for procurement.
Experts reiterate that India's decision to withdraw from the FGFA program, which was based on the Russian Su-57 platform, was justified due to significant technical shortcomings. The FGFA reportedly failed to meet several critical requirements, exhibiting deficiencies not expected in a fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
The program's escalating costs were another major deterrent. Developing a two-seater FGFA variant could have potentially doubled the per-unit cost compared to the Su-30MKI, which is estimated to be around $70 million.
Moreover, customizing the FGFA for India's specific needs was projected to require an investment of $5 billion, significantly exceeding the $2 billion allocated for the recently approved Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program.
While India did incur sunk costs during the initial stages of the FGFA program, experts believe that these expenses are relatively minor compared to the potential financial burden of continuing a program that might not have met the IAF's operational requirements.
The Indian aerospace industry's focus is now firmly on the indigenous AMCA program. With a development budget of $2 billion, the AMCA represents a more cost-effective and strategically independent path for the IAF's future fighter fleet.
