Goa, Aug. 22 -- Former Indian Air Force Vice Chief Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor has raised serious questions over the operational relevance of India's Tejas Mk-2 fighter, saying the aircraft may not be suitable for a frontline role when it begins entering service in significant numbers in the mid-2030s.

Asked whether India should induct a fourth-generation fighter around 2035 when China is moving towards sixth-generation platforms and Pakistan is considering fifth-generation aircraft, Kapoor was categorical: "No, operationally, definitely no."

Fifth-generation fighters such as the US F-22 and China's J-20 combine stealth, sensor fusion and internal weapons carriage. Sixth-generation platforms are expected to add greater use of artificial i...