New Delhi: Aero India 2025 in Bangalore will witness the participation of the fifth-generation Russian and American fighter jets. While the F-35 and F-16 demos have been struck off as “cancelled” in the official schedule on the website of the US Air Combat Command (ACC), a source in the Indian Air Force (IAF) maintained both the US and Russia have confirmed their participation in the event to be held from 10-14 February.
IAF sources clarified that while the American fifth-generation fighters may not take to the sky, they will be part of the static display. The Russian fifth-generation fighters, on the other hand, will perform maneuvers during the air show, sources said.
The F-35 developed by American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin had made its debut during the previous Aero India edition in 2023. Other highlights of the event this year will include American aircraft maker Boeing’s KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft and Brazil-based Embraer’s C-390 transport aircraft, among others.
Fifth-generation aircraft have the most advanced capabilities such as stealth, super-cruise and super-maneuverability. Precision strike capability, speed, agility and high situational awareness are other factors that set the fifth-generation fighters apart from their predecessors. While Su-57 is a twin-engine aircraft, F-35 is a single-engine fighter jet.
India is also in the process of developing its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft—the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in March last year gave its go-ahead to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) project for design and manufacturing of the jet at a time when India’s fighter strength is down to 31 squadrons as against the sanctioned strength of 42.
This number will go down further by next year when the remaining two squadrons of the MiG-21 Bison fighter jets retire.
Aero India is India’s biennial aerospace show. The event sees wide participation from global defence manufacturers from around the world. Apart from being a platform for established defence manufactures to come and showcase their innovations, it also provides Indian MSMEs and startups a chance to display their potential and sign agreements.
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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