As part of India's efforts to effectively meet the emerging threats in its immediate geographical environment the Russo-Indian fifth generation fighter aircraft programme (FGFA) will result in state-of-the art stealth fighters being inducted into the Indian Air Force by 2018.

According to Indian Air Force chief, Air Marshal PV Naik, "The fifth generation aircraft would possess technologies which would provide it (India) the edge over adversaries in future air warfare,"

PAK-FA in debut fligh

"China is rapidly modernising its air force," he said. "On our part, the IAF is reviewing its tactics regularly to increase its combat potential."

The Russo-Indian PAK-FA fifth-generation fighters, slated to match and outperform the US F-22 Raptor, can evade sophisticated radars and operate from short airstrips. It also has longer enduarnce than the current lot of fighters, being able to stay in the air for a lomger period of time, air force officials said.

India plans to procure at least 200 of the 5th-gen PAK-FA fighters, each valued at $100 million. India will spend atleast $32 billion over the next five years to modernise its largely Soviet-era weapons systems.

Though governmnet-level agreements are already in place for the PAK-FA programme, teh two companies India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and the Russian designer and manufacturer, the Sukhoi design bureau, are yet to work out the details.

But this, officials say, is a mere formality and will be locked in some time this year.

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is expected to build the mission computer, cockpit displays and other navigation systems for the aircraft as also design and construct the two-seater variation of the aircraft. While the IAF will be opting for the two-seat variant of the fighter the Russians are opting for the single seat-variant. Both sides, though, will be inducting small quantities of both variants.

India is also in the market for 126 multi-role, medium range fighters and a short list of finalists for the $11 billion contract is expected to be declared by June-July of this year.

Apart from inducting state-of-the art aircraft into its force and upgrading existing aircraft to suit the modern fighting environment, India also plans to upgrade more than 50 airbases along the Chinese and Pakistan border, air marshal Naik said.