Fifth generation fighter crosses milestone

[selvan33]

India and Russia have crossed the first milestone, Preliminary design of FGFA completed

India and Russia have crossed the first milestone towards the development of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), completing the preliminary design of the plane.

“The preliminary design contract (PDC) for the Russian-Indian fifth generation aircraft has been executed,” Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft company announced on Wednesday.

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed the $295-million PDC contract in December 2010 with the Sukhoi company, which is responsible in Russia for developing the PAK-FA (perspective aviation complex-frontline aircraft), as the FGFA is called in Russia.

“The aircraft design has been fully developed,” Sukhoi said in a press release. “Both parties have agreed upon on the amount and division of work during the research and development (R&D) stage. A contract for the R&D is being prepared. It is to be signed this year.”

Under the PDC contract Sukhoi has also trained Indian engineers and provided HAL with the data and software needed to create a single working environment. A team of HAL engineers and IAF experts has been working at Sukhoi’s design bureau in Moscow, while Russian engineers have been assigned to HAL.

Four T-50 aircraft, the Russian prototype of the fifth generation fighter, have already performed more than 200 test flights since January 2010.

The customised FGFA version will have “some differences” from the Russian prototype to meet “specific requirements of the Indian Air Force,” the Sukhoi announcement said.

Russian experts said the FGFA will differ in “mission hardware and software,” as well as weapons. India has dropped its initial plan to redesign the single-seat T-50 into a twin-seat version.

Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne told reporters at Aero India-2013 that India is to receive from Russia the first prototype of the fifth-generation fighter in 2014, followed by two more in 2017 and 2018. The FGFA is expected to go into series production by 2022.

This is India’s biggest-ever defence project and its largest defence deal with Russia. It is expected to cost India more than $30 billion. However, last year India scaled down its original plan to acquire 214 planes by one-third, to 144 aircraft, citing time and cost factors. Russia plans to induct 60 planes at an estimated price tag of $100 million per aircraft.
Fifth generation fighter crosses milestone - The Hindu

 

[S-DUCT]

Sukhoi Company (JSC) - News - News
Good News!.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Hmm, so confirmation that the FGFA will be purely an "MKIised" version of the PAK-FA with Indian specific hardware and avionics sourced from the usual group ie India, Isreal and France. But not any major structural changes like twin-seat. Sensible IMHO, the IAF have clearly done some more intensive research into the tech and realised that the twin-seat requirement wasn't essential and in fact could detrimentally affect the air crafts performance not to mention inflict unessercary delays in the project.



Wrt numbers, 214 was never the number and 144 is not the new order figure. The numbers were always 50 single seat and ~200 FGFA twin seats. Now the latter doesn't apply the 200-250 range still applies.

 

[Bhai Zakir]

India and Russia have crossed the first milestone, Preliminary design of FGFA completed

India and Russia have crossed the first milestone towards the development of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), completing the preliminary design of the plane.

“The preliminary design contract (PDC) for the Russian-Indian fifth generation aircraft has been executed,” Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft company announced on Wednesday.

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed the $295-million PDC contract in December 2010 with the Sukhoi company, which is responsible in Russia for developing the PAK-FA (perspective aviation complex-frontline aircraft), as the FGFA is called in Russia.

“The aircraft design has been fully developed,” Sukhoi said in a press release. “Both parties have agreed upon on the amount and division of work during the research and development (R&D) stage. A contract for the R&D is being prepared. It is to be signed this year.”

Under the PDC contract Sukhoi has also trained Indian engineers and provided HAL with the data and software needed to create a single working environment. A team of HAL engineers and IAF experts has been working at Sukhoi’s design bureau in Moscow, while Russian engineers have been assigned to HAL.

Four T-50 aircraft, the Russian prototype of the fifth generation fighter, have already performed more than 200 test flights since January 2010.

The customised FGFA version will have “some differences” from the Russian prototype to meet “specific requirements of the Indian Air Force,” the Sukhoi announcement said.

Russian experts said the FGFA will differ in “mission hardware and software,” as well as weapons. India has dropped its initial plan to redesign the single-seat T-50 into a twin-seat version.

Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne told reporters at Aero India-2013 that India is to receive from Russia the first prototype of the fifth-generation fighter in 2014, followed by two more in 2017 and 2018. The FGFA is expected to go into series production by 2022.

This is India’s biggest-ever defence project and its largest defence deal with Russia. It is expected to cost India more than $30 billion. However, last year India scaled down its original plan to acquire 214 planes by one-third, to 144 aircraft, citing time and cost factors. Russia plans to induct 60 planes at an estimated price tag of $100 million per aircraft.
Fifth generation fighter crosses milestone - The Hindu

Good news for India.

 

[GR!FF!N]

first prototype is coming in India on 2014???great..

but i wonder why India is differing weapons and mission hardwares form Russia??I think India they developed it in sync..what Israel or France is going to offer which Russia couldn't??they are already building next gen missiles as well as avionics for Pak Fa,right??

 

[Koovie]

Great news! Cannot wait to see it over Indian skies next year

 

[Abingdonboy]

first prototype is coming in India on 2014???great..

but i wonder why India is differing weapons and mission hardwares form Russia??I think India they developed it in sync..what Israel or France is going to offer which Russia couldn't??they are already building next gen missiles as well as avionics for Pak Fa,right??

Mate, fire the same reason the IAF opted for the SU-30MKI over and above the basic MK version. There are areas where the Russians are very good in and others where others are better as such India is getting the best of both worlds. A high performance stealth fighter with the very latest hardware, weapons and avionics out there.

Have no doubt about the FGFA will be superior to the basic T-50/PAK-FA.


There is a reason the RuAF are now inducting SU-30SM which are effectively MKIs with a few more Russian parts (India is also providing certain equipment to the RuAF as part of this deal).

 

[neehar]

great..but i dont think theres any official confirmation regarding scaling down the numbers.it still stays at 200-250 until its done officially..lets wait

 

[Ayush]

great news..

 

[SRP]

very good news

 

[sancho]

Hmm, so confirmation that the FGFA will be purely an "MKIised" version of the PAK-FA

Under the PDC contract Sukhoi has also trained Indian engineers and provided HAL with the data and software needed to create a single working environment. A team of HAL engineers and IAF experts has been working at Sukhoi’s design bureau in Moscow, while Russian engineers have been assigned to HAL.

That alone shows the difference to the MKI deal, or even the Super 30 upgrade now, because we are involed in developing the changes and not only ordering from the options the Russians developed and provide us.
If ONLY avionics and software would be different, you wouldn't need Indian and Russian designers working on both sides, with 4 dedicated prototypes to be build. Both indicates, that even if the design might be the same, or similar, the materials, or coatings, just like the cockpit layout could be very different for both countries.
So calling it an MKIised" version of the PAK-FA is underrating the differences and value of this project!

 

[Abingdonboy]

great..but i dont think theres any official confirmation regarding scaling down the numbers.it still stays at 200-250 until its done officially..lets wait

Indeed, the reports of the number coming down to 144 were utterly unsubstantiated and that too, said the IAF would still be perusing the twin-seat variant.

So calling it an MKIised" version of the PAK-FA is underrating the differences and value of this project!

I agree, it is over-simplistic to call it the FGFA a "MKIised" PAK-FA however that was the point, I was trying to put it in simply terms, but fair enough @sancho, as usual you are right!



What do you expect the differences to be on the FGFA over and above avionics, software and a bit of hardware (HUD, HMDS, IFF for eg) on the PAK-FA/T-50 @sancho?

 

[Roybot]

first prototype is coming in India on 2014???great..

but i wonder why India is differing weapons and mission hardwares form Russia??I think India they developed it in sync..what Israel or France is going to offer which Russia couldn't??they are already building next gen missiles as well as avionics for Pak Fa,right??

Mate, fire the same reason the IAF opted for the SU-30MKI over and above the basic MK version. There are areas where the Russians are very good in and others where others are better as such India is getting the best of both worlds. A high performance stealth fighter with the very latest hardware, weapons and avionics out there.

There is another reason, China. India can not trust anybody, yes Russia as a nation has been a time tested friend but that doesn't mean all Russians are. Either via espionage or bribery sensitive information can land up in Chinese hands rendering these high tech fighters useless.

Ideally we should be making the avionics and mission computers all on our own to make sure no information falls into our enemies hands.

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

as we reach 2014 the picture will get more clearer and clearer..

 

[Koovie]

One question, what is the NATO reporting name of the Pak FA/FGFA ???

I somewhere read that its gonna be Firefox but can someone confirm?????