NEW DELHI: The Defence ministry has initiated efforts to join the French-led Future Combat Air System (FCAS) sixth-generation fighter aircraft programme, a parliamentary panel has said. The panel has also sought a clear roadmap and timeline for India’s acquisition of such advanced aircraft.In its report presented in Parliament on Friday, the parliamentary standing committee on defence said the Indian Air Force should move ahead with planning for sixth-generation aircraft to strengthen India’s air combat capabilities amid an increasingly air-centric warfare environment.“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 panel said.According to PTI, 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)’.“The committee said it had been informed that the Indian Air Force would seek to join one of the two consortia and consider a sixth-generation fighter aircraft at the earliest so that India does not “lag” in developing advanced air power.The Defence ministry told the panel 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”.The panel has now sought 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”.It also asked the ministry to provide an update on the development and production of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) when it submits its action-taken statement.The committee noted that the design for the AMCA has been developed and discussions on its production are currently under way. It said technical upgrades to the aircraft fleet remained a “top priority” for strengthening the Air Force’s combat capability.The panel also linked the push for advanced aircraft to the broader shift in warfare technology. “There has been a ‘paradigm shift’ in the technology used in fighting a war,” it said.Against this backdrop, the committee said the Indian Air Force should receive adequate financial resources and support for near-space operations, so that India can remain competitive in space capabilities.The committee also flagged the rising share of the Indian Air Force in the Defence Services Estimates (DSE). According to data provided by the ministry, the Air Force’s share increased from 8.83 per cent of the DSE in 2021-22 to 10.80 per cent in 2026-27.However, the panel said the Air Force’s overall share of the DSE budget should increase further given the current geopolitical environment and the growing importance of air power.The committee said efforts were being made to strengthen self-reliance in defence manufacturing, including through the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme.It noted that the LCA Mk-II and AMCA programmes are currently at the design and development stage.The panel also called for sustained investment in defence preparedness and commended the Army’s role in safeguarding national security during Operation Sindoor.It said future defence budgets should prioritise the induction of state-of-the-art weapon systems and the infrastructure required to support them.The committee said defence spending should keep pace with neighbouring countries and called for a sufficient Army capital budget to maintain deterrence. The government also outlined naval modernisation projects, including 26 Rafale-M aircraft, MH-60R helicopter support and heavyweight torpedoes.The Navy has been allocated Rs 47,748.31 crore for committed liabilities and Rs 17,146.28 crore for new schemes. The panel sought further updates on sixth-generation fighters and AMCA, including their roadmap and acquisition timelines.
