India talks 6th-generation jets as Tejas struggles with delays, technical hurdles
Futuristic fighter claim under scanner as 4th-gen project mired in setbacks
New Delhi: India has announced plans to work on sixth-generation fighter aircraft for its Air Force even as its indigenous Tejas programme continues to face delivery delays, technical challenges and questions over the pace of development.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at a media summit in New Delhi that India was looking beyond fifth-generation platforms and was also working towards sixth-generation fighter technology. “Not only fifth-Generation fighter jets, but we are also working on sixth-Generation fighter jets,” he said.
The announcement comes as India is only beginning development of its indigenous fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which is expected to take about a decade to become operational. New Delhi is also holding discussions with the UK-Japan-Italy consortium and France on sixth-generation fighter technology.
India’s current Rafale fleet is generally classified as a 4.5-generation platform, while the Tejas is a fourth-generation light combat aircraft. The Tejas Mk1A programme, meanwhile, has yet to enter full operational induction. The Indian Air Force said this month that engines had been installed and testing was under way, with induction expected within one or two months, while radar and weapons-integration issues remain among the final hurdles.
The programme has faced repeated delays. India’s first 83-jet Tejas Mk1A order, placed in 2021, remained undelivered as of September, despite deliveries originally being scheduled to begin in 2024. The Air Force currently operates fewer fighter squadrons than its sanctioned strength, adding pressure on the indigenous fighter programme.
The Tejas fleet also underwent a temporary grounding earlier this year after a February runway incident triggered extensive technical checks. The Indian Air Force subsequently cleared the fleet for flying in April after an investigation involving the Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited identified a software glitch behind the mishap.
Against this backdrop, defence experts have questioned the credibility and timing of India’s leap towards futuristic sixth-generation aircraft. A former Indian Air Force vice chief, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, questioned the operational relevance of Tejas Mk2 if its induction in significant numbers comes only in the 2030s, while the programme continues to face delays. The contrast between technical and production difficulties surrounding a fourth-generation fighter and New Delhi’s talk of sixth-generation capability has therefore drawn critical scrutiny from defence observers.
Rajnath Singh nevertheless said India was preparing for the nature of warfare over the next 10, 20 and 25 years, stressing indigenous aircraft, drone engines and aerospace propulsion as part of its long-term defence ambitions.
