NEW DELHI: India has begun efforts to join France’s sixth-generation fighter programme, choosing the French-led Future Combat Air System (FCAS) over the rival British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as it seeks a foothold in next-generation combat aviation.
In its Action Taken submission to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, the Defence Ministry said it had “initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join” FCAS, a programme spearheaded by the French government.
The disclosure, contained in the committee’s Twenty-Fifth Report for 2025-26 tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday, provides clarity on a choice the ministry had left open in March. It had then told the committee that the Indian Air Force was looking to join one of the two competing sixth-generation fighter programmes.
The other option was GCAP, under which Britain, Italy and Japan are developing a next-generation combat aircraft, known as Tempest.
The move comes as major military powers race to develop combat aircraft designed around stealth, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced sensors, electronic warfare and manned-unmanned teaming.
Unlike conventional fighter programmes, sixth-generation systems are being developed as a “system of systems”, with the crewed fighter expected to operate alongside unmanned aircraft, remote carriers and other networked assets while receiving and sharing data across the battlespace.
The technology has growing relevance for India as China expands its air-combat capabilities. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) operates the J-20 and J-35 stealth fighter and is developing a wider ecosystem involving unmanned systems, long-range weapons, airborne sensors and electronic warfare capabilities. The country has also flown two prototypes of its sixth gen fighters.
Meanwhile, India’s own fighter fleet remains below its authorised strength, while the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), the country’s flagship fifth-gen fighter programme, is still under development. The government has targeted around 2029 for the first flight of AMCA, with the aircraft expected to form the backbone of India’s future fighter fleet.
The parliamentary committee has separately sought a roadmap and timeline for India’s sixth-generation fighter capability.
The choice of France also comes against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding India-France defence relationship. India is now working towards closing the French proposal for 114 additional Rafales worth Rs. 3.25 lakh crore for the IAF, where the offer envisages substantial production and manufacturing in India.
French aerospace major Safran is also working to finalise the deal with DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for the development of a 120KN high-thrust fighter engine which will power the second tranche of the AMCA fighter or the AMCA Mk2.
FCAS was originally conceived by France, Germany and Spain as a broader combat system comprising a new-generation fighter, unmanned remote carriers, advanced sensors and a combat cloud. The fighter was intended to eventually replace France’s Rafale and the Eurofighter operated by Germany and Spain.
The programme, however, was hit by disagreements between French company Dassault Aviation and Airbus over the division of work, development leadership and intellectual property. France and Germany subsequently abandoned their plan to jointly develop the crewed fighter in early June. France is expected to pursue the fighter component under Dassault, while Germany continues work with Spain on its own future combat-aircraft effort.
The change is significant for India because the FCAS programme it had been evaluating earlier this year has since been reshaped. The government has not disclosed the precise form of India’s proposed participation, including whether it is seeking an observer role, a development partnership, production workshare or access to specific technologies.
The SCOD has now asked the defence ministry to provide a “status report, roadmap and timeline” on the sixth-generation fighter programme in its next submission.