SHOULD INDIA BET ITS SIXTH-GEN FIGHTER FUTURE ON EUROPE?

AMIT GUPTA argues why joining either the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) or the British-Japan-Italy Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) would make sense, given the future needs of the Indian Air Force (IAF)

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The recent free trade agreement with the European Union (EU) has significant ramifications for defence cooperation. The major powers like France, Britain, and Germany, as well as smaller countries like Spain, Poland, and Czechia, all have arms industries willing to collaborate on weapons systems ranging from fighter aircraft to rifles and pistols. For India, this is an opportune moment to collaborate on the production of weapons, particularly a sixth-generation fighter.

The IAF's doctrine discusses establishing air superiority over the battle space, and its success requires a sufficient number of combat squadrons.

The IAF is sanctioned to have 42 combat squadrons (over 800 aircraft), but its leadership has proposed building the force up to 60 squadrons (which is around 1200 aircraft). The desire for 1200 odd aircraft is not an empire-building enterprise by the air force, but a recognition of what will be needed in the future to counter the military

The challenge of a two-front threat posed by Pakistan and China.

Everyone in India talks of the two-front aerial threat, be it the media, politicians, or military personnel, but little has been done to tackle it successfully. Because of cost and other considerations, the government reduced the original Rafale deal from 126 aircraft to 36, and Chinese analysts correctly pointed out that these few aircraft would not make a difference along the long India-China border.