India Begins Efforts To Join Sixth-Generation Fighter Jet Programme: Defence Ministry

The Ministry of Defence has initiated efforts to join the French-led Future Combat Air System (FCAS), one of two international consortia developing sixth-generation fighter aircraft, as the Indian Air Force looks to keep pace with emerging combat aviation technologies, a parliamentary panel has said.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has also asked the ministry to prepare a clear roadmap and tentative timeline for the development and acquisition of sixth-generation aircraft. The panel said the IAF should try to join one of the consortia and consider a sixth-generation fighter aircraft right away to ensure that they "do not lag" in achieving the target for advanced aircraft. According to PTI, the ministry told the committee that it has "initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join the sixth-generation fighter aircraft development programme viz., Future Combat Air System (FCAS) spearheaded by the French government".

In its report presented in Parliament on Friday, the committee recommended that the ministry chalk out a trajectory for the development and acquisition of sixth-generation aircraft and "step forward the planning process", citing the increasing importance of air power in modern warfare.

The report is titled "Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in the Twentieth Report of Standing Committee on Defence (18th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Defence for the year 2026-27 on 'Army, Air Force, Navy, Joint Staff, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme and Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (Demand Nos. 20 and 21)'."

India weighs participation in sixth-generation programmes

The committee said it had been informed that two international consortia are developing sixth-generation aircraft.

"The Committee has been informed that two consortia are working on the sixth-generation aircraft. One is a consortium of the UK, Italy, and Japan and the another is a consortium of France and Germany and both are developing aircraft," the report said.

The panel said the Indian Air Force would try to join forces with one of the consortia and consider a sixth-generation fighter aircraft right away to ensure that they "do not lag" in achieving the target for advanced aircraft.

The Defence Ministry's stated efforts to co-join FCAS give a specific direction to India's participation in one of these programmes. The committee has now sought a detailed account of the status of sixth-generation aircraft development and acquisition.

It asked the ministry to provide a detailed status report on the development and acquisition of sixth-generation aircraft, along with "any roadmap prepared alongwith tentative timeline for acquisition of such aircraft", when it submits its action taken statement for the committee's perusal.

The panel also sought a status report on the development and making of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

AMCA, fighter modernisation

The committee said the design for the AMCA has been developed and discussions for its making are currently under way. It said technical upgrades of aircraft are a "top priority" for enhancing the IAF's combat capability.

PTI reported that the government is pursuing several programmes as part of efforts to progressively become self-reliant in defence. These include the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme to bridge the capability gap and enhance manufacturing capacity in India, apart from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme.

The LCA Mk-II and AMCA are at the Design and Development (D&D) stage, the committee said.

The panel also highlighted the changing technology used in warfare and called for adequate financial resources and support for the IAF's near-space operations.

"In this regard, the Committee desires that IAF should be provided with adequate financial resources and support to meet the requirement of near-space operations so that our nation should stand firmly at par with other global players in the field of space capability," it said.

IAF budget share rises

The committee noted an increase in the IAF's share of the Defence Services Estimates (DSE) revenue budget.

Data supplied by the ministry showed that the Air Force's share of the DSE budget increased from 8.83 per cent in 2021-22 to 10.80 per cent in 2026-27.

The panel said the IAF's overall share of the DSE budget needs to increase further in view of the current geopolitical scenario and the increasingly air-centric nature of warfare. It said greater resources were needed to strengthen the force and keep the country combat-ready.

Army preparedness and capital spending

The committee also commended the Indian Army's role in safeguarding national security during Operation Sindoor and stressed the need for sustained investment in defence preparedness.

It urged future budgets to prioritise the induction of modern weapon systems and the development of the infrastructure required to support them, so that the Indian Army's swiftness can be maintained and further strengthened.

The committee said defence expenditure should be in proportion to increases in defence spending by neighbouring countries. It said the Army's capital budget should be "sufficient to have a deterrent capacity to ward off adversaries in case of any hostility."

Navy modernisation allocation

The government also provided the committee with details of major new Navy projects. These include a contract for 26 Rafale-M aircraft, follow-on support and follow-on supply support for MH-60R helicopters, and heavyweight torpedoes for Scorpene-class submarines.

According to PTI, the committee was further informed that the Navy's modernisation budget includes Rs 47,748.31 crore, or 73.57 per cent, for committed liabilities and Rs 17,146.28 crore, or 26.43 per cent, for new schemes.