NEW DELHI - The governments of Russia and India have agreed to intensify work on several joint military projects, including the development of a fifth-generation fighter jet.
"We have decided to fast-track many of the issues," Indian defense chief Manohar Parrikar said following a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, on January 21. According to Parrikar, there has been "apprehension" about the slow progress on the construction of the aircraft.
Earlier this month, the two sides agreed on a preliminary design for the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). The FGFA is the export version of the T-50 PAK-FA previously developed by Russia and India. Based on the FGFA's current project timeline, production is expected to commence in 2020.