India joins UK-Japan-Italy GCAP 6th-gen-fighter programme as ‘dialogue partner’; new status will allow it access info, not tech

New Delhi: In a first step to be part of the sixth-generation fighter development programme, India has joined the UK-Japan-Italy Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as a “dialogue parnter”. It will give the country access to discussions on the development of the three countries’ planned sixth-generation fighter aircraft, also popularly referred to as Tempest.The ‘dialogue partner’ status does not mean India is joining as a buyer or developer but gets to understand the concept of the project, in its broadest sense, UK officials recently said. This status means the partners — UK, Italy and Japan — are okay to have a discussion and dialogue with New Delhi on the sixth-generation jet, its progress, technology and its capabilities.For India, the arrangement provides an opportunity to gain greater insight into sixth-generation combat-air technologies as it develops its own future fighter capabilities under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. Though India’s AMCA is for the 5th-generation fighter programme, the country is simultaneously engaging with global efforts to develop sixth-generation combat aircraft.The GCAP programme recently received around $6.1 billion in funding to support its full-scale design phase. The three partner countries are targeting 2034 for the aircraft’s entry into service.New Delhi is also seeking greater engagement with the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) being led by France. India's interest in both programmes comes as it works to bridge a widening technological gap in combat aviation. The AMCA is currently in the design and development stage and is expected to enter IAF service around 2035. Its planned first flight is expected to coincide broadly with the timeframe for the first flight of France's FCAS platform.Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh recently indicated that India is exploring joining international sixth-generation fighter programs.Air Marshal Kapoor (Retd) also recently recommended that India should partner with an European consortium working on state-of-the-art sixth generation platforms. “There are other things that are happening — why not join FCAS for the 6th generation jet under development by French Dassault Aviation, Airbus and Indra Sistemas. Why not GCAP.”At present, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is currently manufacturing the 4.5-generation indigenous Tejas fighter jets by importing F404-IN20 engines from American GE. Currently, the IAF is managing with just 29 squadrons of fighter jets and is desperately looking to raise the squadrons, to check the twin threats along the Pakistan and China borders. At the same time, it doesn’t want to stay behind in the race for fifth and sixth-generation fighter jets.