Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 27: Amid reports of China fast-tracking its plan to deliver stealth fighter jets to Pakistan to bolster its arsenal to counter India’s air superiority over its western neighbour, the defence ministry has approved the “execution model” for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme to make its own stealth aircraft to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jets to bolster its air capability.
“In a significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model,” the defence ministry said on Tuesday.
It will be India’s most advanced fighter jet, the country’s first stealth aircraft, which will be a twin-engine, 5th Generation military aircraft, and the programme will be executed by the state-run Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
As per the defence ministry framework, ADA will soon invite both public and private defence firms to express their initial interest in participating in the ambitious project by developing a prototype for the stealth aircraft. A statement by India’s defence ministry said that the stealth fighter programme will be spearheaded only by a domestic firm, for which bids can be made independently, as well as a joint venture. These bids can be made both by government-run firms as well as private enterprises.
The decision to involve private firms was recommended by a top defence committee in March this year, in a move to boost private manufacturing in the defence sector while also reducing pressure on state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or HAL – the primary fighter jet maker in the country. HAL is already facing massive delays, especially over the Light Combat Aircraft or LCA Tejas project – a 4.5-generation fighter jet. HAL however, has blamed the slow delivery of jet engines from US firm General Electric GE) for the delays.
India’s DRDO is also working on developing its indigenous aircraft engine under the GTRE GTX-35VS Kaveri Engine project. This is mainly being made for the LCA Tejas fighter jet, and is a project currently under progress. India has given impetus to the stealth fighter project as its current fighter jets mostly include Russian and French military aircraft. The number of squadrons in the Indian Air Force currently stands at 31, far below the approved strength of 42 squadrons.
With China rapidly expanding its air force, while also aiding Pakistan in expanding theirs, New Delhi has decided to speed up its indigenous stealth aircraft project. While India is now focusing on developing 5th Generation military aircraft, China has already made, displayed, and flight-tested its 6th Generation aircraft – believed to be the J-36, developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation.
Pakistan already has one of China’s most-advanced fighter aircraft – the J-10, and as per reports, Beijing has offered its most advanced stealth fighter jet – The Shenyang J-35, a single-seater, twin-engine, all-weather, stealth, multi-role combat aircraft. Some reports suggest that Beijing has offered this aircraft to Islamabad at a discounted price.
Termed as India’s answer to fifth-generation air power, the AMCA is expected to be a stealth-heavy, multi-role platform incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as sensor fusion, internal weapons bays, advanced avionics, and supercruise capability.
The AMCA is a 25-tonne twin-engine aircraft with an internal fuel tank of 6.5-tonne capacity. Its advanced stealth features will enable it to meet new and developing challenges in modern warfare. The initial cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 15,000 crore.
The fifth-generation stealth fighter jet also boasts of an Electronic Pilot powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) for advanced decision-making. It also has Netcentric Warfare Systems for real-time combat coordination, an internal weapon bay for a range of weapons, and Integrated Vehicle Health Management for predictive maintenance. It will also aid in complex combat situations and provide seamless coordination with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The internal weapons bay can carry up to four long-range air-to-air missiles and several precision-guided munitions, with a payload of 1,500 kg. The fifth-generation aircraft are different from Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and have low electromagnetic signature, making it difficult for enemy radar to detect it.
With AMCA, India has joined the list of select nations which have developed a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. The United States has the F-22 Raptor and F-35A Lightning II, China has the J-20 Mighty Dragon and Russia has the Sukhoi Su-57.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has committed to delivering the AMCA by 2035. “This journey began only in 2024, when the Cabinet Committee on Security sanctioned the project,” DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat had previously said. “It will take ten years, and we have committed to delivering the platform by 2035.”
One critical component of developing AMCA is the engine, which is likely to be developed through a joint venture with a foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The cabinet committee on security, led by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the full-scale engineering development of five AMCA prototypes in March 2024, with an initial budget of over Rs 15,000 crore.
The 15th edition of Aero India in Bengaluru on February 10 had showcased some of the most advanced Russia’s Su57E fighter jets and USA’s F35. The Sukhoi Su-57 is a twin-engine stealth multi-role fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi. It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8, can carry up to 7.4 tonnes of weapons, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. It has a maximum operating altitude of 54,100 feet and has a combat range of 1,864 miles.
Russia, which has about 76 Su-57s, is looking to sell the aircraft to India and UAE.
