After six years of negotiations on jointly developing an advanced fifth generation fighter aircraft with stealth features, New Delhi and Moscow today reached an agreement at a meeting of their Defence Ministers.

A formal pact will be be signed shortly after the deal is fine-tuned.

Designated PAK-FA, the multi-billion dollar programme will be the largest and most complex in Indo-Russian military cooperation, dwarfing BrahMos, the only true joint military project between the two countries as of now.

Fronted by Sukhoi Design Bureau, the PAK-FA will give both countries a distinct leap in fighter technology — the Russians have promised a first flight as early as 2009, and are open to a BrahMos-style model for development with New Delhi. In the next decade, the fighter will be produced in large numbers to replace legacy fighters in both countries’ air forces, including MiG-29s, Jaguars and Mirage-2000s.

New Delhi was initially reluctant to embark upon a programme that was already past its basic design phase in Russia, but has now reconciled itself to making a possible lateral entry into the programme, assured by Moscow that progress off the drawing board will be spearheaded by both countries.

The programme envisages a fighter with all fifth generation capabilities. These include advanced stealth features, a full composite airframe, a crucial active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, advanced integrated onboard sensors, vectored thrust nozzles for superior manoeuvrability, the ability to deploy beyond visual range and ground attack missiles and importantly, the ability to supercruise — fly at supersonic velocities without the use of engine afterburners.

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