New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to land in New Delhi on Friday (September 11) for the BRICS Summit and talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Crude oil, trade corridors and defence projects are expected to be on the agenda, including the possible addition of Su-57 (Russia’s fifth-generation fighter) to India’s fleet.
Defence analysts said India has a strong reason to consider the Russian fighter as the Indian Air Force (IAF) is dealing with a shortage of combat squadrons and preparing for possible threats on two fronts. Against this backdrop, they said the country needs a stealth fighter in the near term.
The United States has two, China has two and Russia has one. The first is cost. Another issue is India’s dependence on the United States for the aircraft’s operational support. Parihar’s biggest objection is about technology transfer.
“The Su-57 is Russia’s fifth-generation stealth fighter and has been used in combat operations. The F-35 is more expensive than the Su-57. He said the F-35 also comes with high maintenance and flying costs. The United States is not ready to give India the F-35’s technology or source code, according to him.
When asked whether India has any real choice when it comes to adding a stealth fighter, former Air Force Wing Commander KS Parihar said the country needs a platform that can meet its immediate requirements as it prepares for a possible two-front or two-and-a-half-front situation. Only five stealth fighter aircraft are presently available in the world, according to him. The Air Force has some information about its capabilities and limitations,” he said. He also referred to India’s experience with the US-made engine for the Tejas programme and said it haas led to a lack of trust.
