India knocks on France’s door for sixth-gen fighter

India has begun efforts to join France’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), opening a potential route into sixth-generation fighter technology as Paris presses ahead alone with its next-generation combat aircraft programme after abandoning a planned joint fighter with Germany. The Defence Ministry told Parliament earlier this month that it “has initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join” the French-led FCAS programme. The disclosure, in the Standing Committee on Defence’s 25th report, is the first official confirmation of India’s move. India is not yet a formal FCAS partner and no agreement has been announced on workshare, funding, technology transfer, cost…