Does India Really Need a Stealth Fighter?

Abstract

With the advent of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) and given the nature of limited scope of a conventional military clash between India and its neighbors warranting the active use of the Air Force, the need of a manned stealth capable aerial platform holds limited utility at the moment. Moreover, the need to address the existing operational gulf and upgrading the current fleet, which remains adept at handling any contingency threatening the Indian airspace over the short-to-mid-term remains a more prudent choice.