Why India Ditched FGFA 5th-Gen Fighter Jet Program with Russia? $25B Price, Limited Control and Stealth Shortcomings Were Major Factors

India's decision to withdraw from the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) program with Russia was a significant turning point in its pursuit of advanced fighter capabilities.

While concerns about the aircraft's technical limitations, particularly its stealth capabilities, were widely reported, the program's exorbitant cost appears to have been the decisive factor in India's withdrawal.

Initially, the FGFA program, based on Russia's PAK-FA or Sukhoi T-50 platform, was envisioned as a collaborative venture with a 50:50 design and work-share agreement. This promised India a significant role in developing a cutting-edge stealth fighter.

However, as the program progressed, India's participation became increasingly limited, with Russia retaining control over most of the design and development work.

Reports indicated that India would have needed to invest an estimated $25 billion to see the FGFA project through to completion and induct 127 fighters into the Indian Air Force (IAF).

This staggering cost included expenses for development, production, and operational deployment. The high price tag raised serious concerns about the program's affordability, especially when weighed against other pressing needs in India's defence budget.

Furthermore, India would have had to compromise on its initial 50:50 design and work-share arrangement, effectively reducing its role to that of a buyer rather than a co-developer. This diminished role significantly undercut the strategic and technological benefits India had hoped to gain from the partnership.

While financial concerns were central, technical issues with the FGFA also influenced India's decision. The aircraft faced criticism for its:

• Pseudo-stealth capabilities: The PAK-FA platform lacked true stealth features comparable to other fifth-generation fighters like the F-35 or F-22.
• Underwhelming performance: Concerns arose regarding engine reliability, radar cross-section (RCS), and sensor fusion, raising doubts about the FGFA's overall combat effectiveness.

These shortcomings suggested that the FGFA might not fully meet the IAF's operational requirements, making the substantial financial investment even harder to justify.

India's withdrawal from the FGFA program marked a shift in its approach to acquiring fifth-generation fighter capabilities. Instead of relying on foreign platforms, India has prioritized developing its own Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). This program aims to deliver a true fifth-generation fighter tailored to the IAF's specific needs and built with significant indigenous content.

By focusing on the AMCA, India aims to develop critical technologies domestically, reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers, and align its defence industry with the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India) vision. This strategic shift reflects India's growing ambition to become a major player in the global aerospace and defence market.

 

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[Hey]

There was as an article most recently that said that France was asking $254-$260Mln after adjusting for Inflation, for Rafale-M F3 with India (Airfore)specific enhancement's, When Navy Specific enhancements is added to this price it will reach closer to $300Mln approximately, what ever it may be whether you take the price for barebones or add for other equipment's, don't you think $300Mln is ridiculous for a 4th gen jet, when 5th gen F35 costs much lesser, base price of 5th gen F35 is $80Mln compared to 4th gen Rafale's $150Mln.

You never quote $300 million per unit price, etc., for any plane after the deal. Just because some stupid Indian media is doing it for views, it doesn't mean you have to do it.

See other Western media, etc., they rarely go with X amount for one jet after the deal.

Because it depends on the buyer, what he needs: X number of spares, X amount of TOT, X amount of software or hardware changes & upgrades, X amount of ammunition, X amount of everything else.

Again, compare CapEx cost with the CapEx cost of other deals, compare OpEx cost with OpEx deals.

It sounds so foolish that one jet is coming with X amount after the deal when mostly the price depends on the number of things you are involving with the per-unit cost of the deal. I hope you understand.

Plus, every country tries its best to extract as much money as it can from the buyer when it comes to buying defence equipment, unless you are buying some small artillery, guns, or small systems because everyone knows that you desperately need that system.

 

[Rp]

AMCA is India's own R&D, and Atmanirbharat is the only way to become self-reliant and relevant at this stage. We do not want manufacturers supplying old tech packaged as TOT. When India is capable of manufacturing cryogenic rocket engines, then so also are new-gen fighter jet engines. If stealth characteristics and advanced tech like EWS/AESA/Indian adaptable weaponry are to be developed to ensure supply chain capabilities, this means our budgeted funds are well spent. Let there be some delay. The IAF wants lots of imported hi-tech toys; India cannot invest, and ATMANIRBHARAT is for real. Rejecting all Indian-developed tech has become fashionable for the IAF. Our defence budget is not to promote foreign suppliers' export sales.

 

[tipoo2]

Lol SU57 is not even 5th generation it's RCS (in Sukhois own admission) is literally as much as a clean F18 AND it lacks sensor fusion capabilities. It's glorified 4.75 Gen fighter.

Literally no one just gives away their own combat RCS in a patent. That was surely talking about pure shaping, as are scatter simulations of it online, not accounting for substructure honeycomb and RAM and all.

While everyone was bashing the S70 for failing and flying towards Ukraine, it was notable that the Su-57 got in and out unmolested in some heavily contested airspace

 

[SR]

Nonsense. The Su-57 is nowhere near the F-22, as we have already seen. If nothing else, the Su-57 only has a smaller RCS forward, while the other sides have a fairly large RCS. Oh, and the thrust vectoring engine thing is still some time away.

It is a potent fighter, yes, but to compare it to the F-22 would be to compare something like the MiG-21bis to a F-16C or something.

Oh, and the Su-75 doesn't exist. Russia has little interest in the project, and only wants some idiot to finance it for them. Short of them finding such a nation, the Su-75 will almost certainly never exist beyond a set of mockups, some design drawings, and peoples' hopes and dreams.

The Su-75 cannot hold a candle to the F-35. The former doesn't exist. The latter, while having its flaws, is the most widely produced and operated fifth-generation fighter today.

I agree all your points but the point you missing is Russia built Su 57 with a view it should fight without entering battle field, operating in safe zones under full protection from S400 & S350. In this scenario what is the need of worring extremely about back rcs???. However they are doing many advancements to improve further.
F35 program name itself joint strike fighter, which is designed to enter battlefield, same F22 as air superiority fighter but designed to enter battlefield.

 

[SR]

In all defence deals, the Russians have repeatedly cheated India and never supplied any technology or expertise of worthwhile nature. Russian equipment is crude, unreliable, and failure rates are high.

Russia at least gave 47% jet engine technology; most of the technology we got from foreign sources is from Russia only. If it is NATO, they never share tech & instead enslave & colonize us.

Imagine you worked hard for nearly 100 years & lost thousands of valuable engineers and test pilots, now someone comes & asks for the tech, will you share?

 

[Anant]

I agree all your points but the point you missing is Russia built Su 57 with a view it should fight without entering battle field, operating in safe zones under full protection from S400 & S350. In this scenario what is the need of worring extremely about back rcs???. However they are doing many advancements to improve further.
F35 program name itself joint strike fighter, which is designed to enter battlefield, same F22 as air superiority fighter but designed to enter battlefield.

Boss, I know that Russian and American fighters have differing design doctrine. However, having a fighter that would have challenges if it had to enter a contested airspace isn't a good idea.

If you only wanted something that can sling missiles from stand-off ranges, just get those missiles, or fit an older aircraft with those. If you have SAM protection regardless, there isn't going to be much difference that a 4.5 generation fighter and a 5th generation fighter would have.

 

[Anant]

Russia lovers forget America has over 150 F22 and over 1000 F35 while Russia barely has 50 SU57, and 1 F22 can most likely kill 5-6 SU57 due to superior stealth hence first see first shoot!

Even 50 Su-57s is a stretch. Oh, and total F-35 production run is over 1,000. The US has something like 450 F-35s in service, with a final plan of having something like 2,450 F-35s overall over the course of the program.

 

[Anant]

Russia at least gave 47% jet engine technology; most of the technology we got from foreign sources is from Russia only. If it is NATO, they never share tech & instead enslave & colonize us.

Imagine you worked hard for nearly 100 years & lost thousands of valuable engineers and test pilots, now someone comes & asks for the tech, will you share?

And when was the last time we purchased anything from NATO in those kind of numbers? If you want to compare, have a fair comparison.

 

[rame]

We have enough of Rafale which is overpriced now. Since we have to go for imports immediately we should scout for such birds which have shown it's metal in ongoing wars. Look at Israel where they have effectively used F 35 in their ongoing wars. We can at least buy some F 35 A which US is offering to meet contigencies in case Pakis try to bomb with China sitting behind their back.

 

[Rational Guy]

36 more Rafales will cost us $15Bln now after adjusting inflation, and we have to wait for 10years to recieve the first Rafale due to it's excessive backlog of 254 jets, Dassault makes 10-11/year, we won't be needing a foreign 4th gen jet in 2035, we will be having hundreds of Tejas MK2 at that time.

If Dassault can somehow make it in India then we need to go ahead with it. Else we are stuck

 

[SR]

And when was the last time we purchased anything from NATO in those kind of numbers? If you want to compare, have a fair comparison.

I told you clearly, NATO will enslave us and colonize us. Just see the conditions of other countries who bought US weapons. At least see how the US is delaying GE 404 engines. For the US, currency is not just money; it includes free access to resources, administration, foreign policy, and literally everything in that country. Comparing anything with evil NATO itself is not a fair comparison.

If we had bought US weapons instead of Russian weapons since the 1960s, today, along with Bangladeshis, you would be seeing Africans, Syrians, and Gazans also getting homes under government schemes and claiming themselves as Indians.

 

[R. Singh]

Russia asked for 50:50 funding ,India agreed but at the time of design Russia offered only < 15% tech ! That was the reason India quit, as per info in public domain ! OUR PMF fighter jet development derailed now we should ink deal with Lockheed Martin+ Boeing to help India to make PMF !

 

[PKPRS]

If Dassault can somehow make it in India then we need to go ahead with it. Else we are stuck

Dassault won't make it in India unless we order 100+. If we order 100+, we will expect TOT that Rafale won't give. We have seen this Tom & Jerry story before. So if we are buying more Rafales, it might be another order for 36 more and something else for the remaining. In my opinion, this has been my stand all along. Purchasing 36 more Rafales depends on immediate availability; otherwise, we are pretty much done with Rafale. Our enemies can't wait until we get Rafales; French fans should know this.

 

[PKPRS]

Do not underestimate the Su-57. It is a 5th-generation stealth fighter that has been used in the Ukraine war. It has improvements from the initial design and inputs from the war. It will have a 2D thrust vector nozzle and an advanced helmet-mounted sighting system. It is equivalent to the F-22. India can purchase it or go for licensed make in India. We can also become a partner in the joint development of the single-engined version Su-75, equivalent to the F-35.

I won’t compare SU-57 against F-22, both have their strength snd weaknesses and are made for entirely different operational doctrine and operate in completely different environment with different level of protection, SU-57 is way too better than J-20-J-35 combined any day.

 

[Senapati]

Why blem Russia. Has not France increased cost of Rafal fighter.
Have not Americans stopped GE ingine for Tejas Mk1 and increased price of GE F414 for Tejas Mk2.
America or Western NATO countries can not be trusted at critical times.
In defence not just technology not just good look but a reliable platform and a reliable partner country matters most.