Bangalore: Russia has offered to India to become a partner in the ambitious fifth generation combat aircraft but New Delhi is yet to make up its mind and has sought a detailed report on the proposal.

"They have given a proposal but we have asked them to give more details. We will then examine. We have not made up anything in our mind," chairman and managing director the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) N R Mohanty said.

Such a project requires a lot of funds, Mohanty said, adding Russians have proposed to India to jointly design, develop and eventually produce by sharing costs.

He said he has also spoken to Defence Minister George Fernandes in this regard but clarified that no decision has been taken regarding Indian participation in the project.

From the Russian side, project initiators are Aviation Military Industrial Complex Sukhoi, whose officials say the mid-sized aircraft is proposed to be built in single and two-seater versions.

The aircraft would have stealth and supersonic flight features, according to Mikhail Pogosyan, director of Sukhoi Design Bureau, who was in Bangalore to attend the five- day Aero India 2003 aerospace exposition, that touched down on February 9.

PTI