India seeks role in France’s sixth-generation fighter program

NEW DELHI — With the race for sixth-generation combat aircraft gathering pace, India has opened talks with France on participating in its Future Combat Air System (FCAS) as it seeks a role in technologies that could shape air combat in the future. India’s Defense Ministry told parliament this month it had “initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join” the effort. The ministry stated earlier this year that India would try to join one of the two consortia working on a new generation fighter aircraft – at that time one involved France, Germany and Spain. The second includes the UK, Italy and Japan. In June, however, France and Germany abandoned their joint effort to develop the landmark combat fighter at the heart of the program, opening the door for Paris to collaborate with a new partner. India is exploring a potential partnership with France at a time when New Delhi lags behind in key fighter jet technologies, particularly engine development, and is also trying to beef up the fleet strength of its air force. At the moment, India’s most advanced fighter jets are its 4.5-generation French Rafales. The country is also pursuing a domestic project to develop a multirole fifth-generation fighter, with a prototype flight targeted for later this decade. However sixth-generation fighters are expected to incorporate technologies that go beyond the stealth and advanced radar capabilities of fifth-generation aircraft. The futuristic jets center on a core fighter jet supported by dr…