India inches closer to entering elite 5th-generation fighter jet club: Here's who's in it

India’s dreams of manufacturing fifth generation combat jets are inching to reality. Decks have been cleared with Narendra Modi government giving approval for the execution model of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft project.

This is the breakthrough moment for India’s defence aviation industry as there are just handful countries that manufacture next-gen fighter planes in the world – three to be precise. So, who all are part of this elite club? First is the US that launched the fifth-generation fighter jet race with F-22 Raptor back in 2005.

Other two nations that are building combat-ready combat jets include Russia and China. Interestingly, last year, the US and Russia had showcased their fifth-gen combat jets at prestigious Bengaluru Aero Show. It was the first time that these two jets – US F-35 and Russia’s Su-57- were at one location.

The US had begun its tactical fighter programme more than four decades ago in 1980s. The country already had superior F-15 and F-16 ruling the skies. Fast forward in 2005, Lockheed Martin introduced F-22 Raptor. Equipped with advanced avionics and stealth feature, F-22 is often terms as the ultimate in the defence aviation sector. Without use of afterburners, F-22 Raptor can achieve ‘supercruise’ at Mach 1.8.

Moscow took some time to develop fifth-generation fighter jets. But quietly, Russia finally ended the US dominance and now boasts SU-57 in its squadron. Recently, it also confirmed that it has tested the sortie of Su-57 with assistance of the artificial intelligence.

China is the third nation in this uber elite group that manufactures fifth-generation fighter jets. J-20, a twinjet stealth 5th-gen combat jet, was official introduced by China back in 2016. It has been designed by People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation.

South Korea's KF-21 and Turkey's Kaan are also knocking on the door of the fifth-gen combat jet club. While the number of countries operating these next gen combat jets has gone to 12, the manufacturers are still limited. However, South Korea and Turkey may just get the entry as both nations test their planes and aim for combat-readiness by 2030.