India seeking to join European sixth-generation fighter program: Reports

MELBOURNE — India has expressed an interest in joining one of the two ongoing European sixth-generation fighter programs, according to local media reports.

The reports, which cite a document submitted to the Indian parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence, say the country’s Ministry of Defence told lawmakers that it would “try to join forces with one of (two) consortia and begin considering a sixth-generation fighter right away with a view to ensure they do not lag behind in achieving the target for advanced aircraft.”

The two consortia are the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) by Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, which aims to develop the Tempest fighter jet and related systems, and the troubled Future Combat Air System (FCAS) effort by France, Germany and Spain.

The standing committee reportedly added that it had recommended the Ministry to develop a trajectory for the planning process in the development and acquisition of such an aircraft “which would eventually enhance India’s air domain capabilities in today’s highly air-centric modern warfare.”

However, defense analyst Dan Darling told Breaking Defense that the existing partners of both programs were unlikely to allow India to join to development program, although they would welcome India buying their respective aircraft.

It had previously been reported that Japan was reluctant to allow an earlier attempt by Saudi Arabia to join GCAP due to concerns about potential slippage in the already tight timelines for the program, with Japan seeking for its first aircraft to enter service in the early 2030s to replace its Mitsubishi F-2 fighters.

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India has struggled in recent years to modernize its air combat capabilities despite the ongoing purchase of Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France, as its indigenous Tejas program has dogged by development and maturity issues.

It has also plans to develop a fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, although that program is still a long way from taking shape, with a Request for Proposals yet to be issued and the first prototype only expected to rollout in 2031.