English
ST Petersburg: As India continues trying to boost its air power and searches for a fifth-generation aircraft that can give a befitting response to Chinese fighter jets, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday made a promising offer related to the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet. While speaking to global news agencies, he said that Russia is ready to jointly develop and produce the Su-57 with India. The advanced fifth-generation fighter jet is loaded with enhanced stealth capabilities, and Moscow is also ready to share its critical technologies with New Delhi.
The timing of Russia’s offer is very crucial as IAF lacks 5th-generation fighter jets. Speculations are there that Pakistan is soon going to acquire China’s Shenyang J-35AE stealth fighters to strengthen its Air Force.
India’s indigenous project to build a 5th-generation jet (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is in a developmental phase and is expected to be completed in 2030.
Putin said, “As far as the Su-57 goes, at one point we proposed to our Indian friends to work together on this technology.”
“We are ready to supply India with this aircraft to keep developing it. We don’t have any issues or limitations. The same goes for air defense systems,” Putin said.
Describing the aircraft as a leading platform in modern aviation, he added, “It’s fifth-generation technology—I think it’s the best in the world as of now.”
“But back then, our Indian friends said: ‘Go ahead on your own, and then we will see – maybe we’ll join’…The aircraft could have been our joint project. We built it independently, but we are ready to work with India in this field – to supply this aircraft and to keep developing it. We don’t have any issues with it, any limitations. The same goes for air defence systems.”
Putin also praised India as a “great country” and defended New Delhi’s independent foreign policy, while taking a dig at the attempts by the United States to pressure India over its cooperation with Russia, saying such moves are “detrimental” to bilateral and international relations.
He also spoke on how New Delhi and Moscow enjoy a special privileged strategic partnership.
“That is how I characterise this relationship. It did not occur yesterday or one or five years ago. This is something we have been working on for decades. Back in 1947, when the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations with the Indian Republic, we have been doing everything to support the establishment of a new State, a new independent state. I’m glad to say that thanks to the hard work and the talent of the Indian people, India has made great and important achievements in its development,” the Russian President said.
(with ANI inputs)
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