BY : Zee News

In a bid to catch up with advances in fighter aircraft designs in the US and Europe, top Indian and Russian defence officials met here today to give final shape to the configuration and design of the planned joint futuristic fifth generation fighter.

The new fighter could cost anything between USD 10 and 12 billion, Indian officials want the aircraft to have super stealth and a very high degree network centricity.

Besides finalising the design of the fighter, the two-day meeting of the top Indian and Russian officials are also holding intensive dialogue to iron out the differences which have recently crept into the bilateral military ties.

The meeting is taking place in the backdrop of the two countries coming close to renegotiating the key Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal, with New Delhi agreeing to a staggering US 2 billion dollar hike for the warship.

Indian officials said a package deal, which had been finalised, was about to be put up to the Union Cabinet for approval.

"In some aspects, we are trying to renegotiate," a top official said. Elaborating, he said, that Moscow's demand for USD 400 million to undertake final trials of the carrier, were "felt to be too high".