Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on Saturday confirmed that a fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme has been initiated with the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). He further added that three more Rafale jets are expected to join the fleet of eight by the end of this month, PTI reported. 

The IAF chief was speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of ‘Exercise Desert Knight-21’ held in Jodhpur by the air forces of India and France.

He said IAF has a fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme with the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and plans to incorporate some sixth-generation capabilities in it as well. 

“Our present vision is to incorporate all the latest technologies and sensors in our fifth-generation aircraft,” Bhadauria said.

“We started work on fifth-generation aircraft a little late. So technologies and sensors contemporary to that period of development would be added into fifth-generation fighters,” he added.

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Bhadauria said when IAF received the Rafale aircraft, the first priority was to operationalise it and integrate it with the existing combat fleet.

“It has already been done, and the current exercise Desert Knight was the result of that. We have some Indian pilots training in France and some in India itself. We have enough pilots to have a right pilot-cockpit ratio,” he said. 

Earlier, Bhadauria congratulated both the air forces for successfully completing the exercise in just four days. Desert Knight-21 was scheduled to be held over five days.

“It is not in terms of interoperability which has been learnt in this exercise, but employment of best practices, operational philosophies and mutual as well as professional interaction,” he said.