India is planning to buy up to 300 co-produced fifth-generationfighters and 45 utility transports from Russia, the Indian defenseminister said on Thursday.
"Over the next decade, Russian-Indian military cooperation willfocus on two projects: a utility transport and a fifth-generationfighter," said Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, who is on a two-day visit to India.
The jointly-produced fifth generation fighter will not be a copy ofthe existing Sukhoi T-50 prototype ordered for the Russian Air Force,but will be a separate creation, a high-profile source in the Russiandelegation in New Delhi said.
The countries are planning to unveil a one-seater and a two-seater version of the fighter by 2015-2016.
The costs are planned to be shared by the two states fifty-fifty.
The Times of India earlier said India may invest over $25 billion on buying fifth-generation fighters for its Air Force.
