India’s joint aircraft design and development programmes with Russia were meant to showcase its increase in stature, coupled with the desire to move beyond licensed production and change the “buyer-seller” status quo that existed with its trusted ally.
The first of these programmes was the development of a country-specific version of Sukhoi’s fifth-generation T-50/PAK FA, modified for India’s air force and called the Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF).
On signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement between the two countries in 2007, to jointly develop the PMF, it was hailed as a “major landmark” in Indo-Russian military programmes by then-defence minister A K Antony.
The PMF would draw upon “the basic structural and system design of the Russian FGFA technology demonstrator” and be modified to meet much more “stringent” Indian air force specifications.
A twin-seat variant was to be developed for the Indian air force, with provision for the introduction of a more powerful engine at a later stage. Time was of the essence, however, as Russia was pressing ahead with the development of the single-seat T-50.
It now appears that delays with the PMF programme will essentially result in production of the Sukhoi T-50 under licence in India.
N C Agarwal, a former director design and development at Hindustan Aeronautics, who played a key role during the early stages of the PMF programme, says: “I don’t think there is much to be done now. With Sukhoi having proceeded so far ahead, there is obviously no point in spending so much money just to get design documents.”
Sukhoi has already built five T-50 prototypes, with construction of three more under way.
Following completion of the Project Definition Phase (PDP) in June 2013, the all-important contract to proceed with detailed design, which it is estimated will cost India $6 billion, has yet to be concluded and has already been delayed by close to two years.
Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, during a visit to India by Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu last month, was quoted by news agency PTI saying “We have discussed all the issues including the FGFA. We have decided to fast-track many of the issues.”
India was already a late entrant into the programme – by about a year and a half – when it signed the $295 million contract for Hindustan Aeronautics to take part in the PDP with Rosoboronexport and Sukhoi in December 2010.
Commenting on the PDP, Agarwal says “In the PDP we wouldn’t have learnt anything that would have helped us in detailed design.”
The other joint development programme with Russia is the multirole transport aircraft effort, an attempt to design, develop and produce a multirole transport aircraft in the 15-20 tonne class.
To meet the requirement, a joint venture called the Multirole Transport Aircraft Ltd (MTAL) was formed between Hindustan Aeronautics and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation-Transport Aircraft Division (UAC-TAS).
That programme has been mired in delays too, with the PDP originally due to have been completed by October 2013. According to Agarwal, who is also the former chief executive of MTAL: “The PDP is still not completed as there were lot of reservations by the Indian air force on the MTA meeting performance requirements at high altitudes and this is where it is stuck.”
According to informed sources, there also appear to have been difficulties in sourcing western engines for the type and it now appears that the Indian version will use Russian engines.
The total programme cost is also expected to increase as the original figure of $600 million was at 2006 prices and a lack of export orders could drive costs up further.
The MTA – if and when it arrives on the market – will also face competition from Embraer’s KC-390 military transport. The MTA was originally to secure 100 orders from the Russian air force, 45 from India and exports were pegged at 60, making for a programme total of 205 orders.
Commenting on the MTA’s export prospects, Richard Aboulafia, vice-president analysis at the Teal Group, says: “A joint Russian/Indian project is unlikely to define a product that meets global market needs, and to create the product support infrastructure needed to assure customers. It won’t be much of an export player,” he concludes.
Source: Flight International
