MOSCOW. Jan 29 (Interfax-AVN) - The press campaign against the Russian-Indian FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighting Aircraft) project derives from reductions of the Indian defense and procurement budget and the colossal cost of the procurement and licensed production of Rafale multirole fighter jets chosen in the MMRCA (Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft) tender, Deputy Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies Konstantin Makiyenko said.
"Criticism of the FGFA project in the Indian newspaper Business Standard with alleged references to the Indian Air Force is unfounded, absurd and custom-made to divert attention from a financial catastrophe the Indian Air Force will plunge into if the Rafale contract is concluded," Makiyenko told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
French fighter jets Rafale cannot be procured under current economic conditions without other programs being cut, he said. "The continuation of this project threatens the Indian Air Force with the consumption of all allocations for its deprives the country of fifth-generation technologies," Makiyenko said.
The allegations of "Russia's reluctance to share project data" with India are totally unfounded, he continued. "Russia and India are implementing a joint project and any information related to it is accessible to Indian engineers and designers," the expert said.
The claims of "an overrated project value are simply laughable at a time when the Indian Air Force is about to buy 126 outdated French fighter jets Rafale for a sum much larger than 20 billion euro," he noted.
In fact, the press campaign against FGFA results from the increasing rivalry for resources amid economic difficulties experienced by the country, the expert suggested. The government decided on January 23 it would cut the defense budget by 78.7 billion rupees ($1.26 billion) to only $31.63 billion rupees on the condition the rupee stopped falling this year.
"Obviously, the probability of reductions or cancellation of procurement programs is high under these circumstances. As it is totally impossible to reduce the highly successful HAL Sukhoi Su-30MKI program, FGFA and MMRCA/Rafale are struggling for resources," Makiyenko concluded.