Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft

The Defence Ministry is working on a model to involve private industry in the works of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

• The design of the AMCA is ready and the prototype is expected to roll out by 2028-29 and the production is expected to begin from 2032-33. 

About Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is India’s fifth-generation multirole fighter jet that will put India in a select group of nations that have their own fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

• Size: This aircraft will be bigger than other fighters in the Indian Air Force inventory.
• Organizations Involved: Aeronautical Development Agency & Hindustan Aeronautics Limited 
  • The development of AMCA is planned to be carried out in two phases, a MK1 with the General Electric F414 engine and a Mk2 with a more powerful engine planned to be co-developed in partnership with Saran of France for which discussions are underway.
• Features:
  • Stealth: The 25-tonne twin-engine aircraft will have advanced stealth features to avoid detection by enemy radar.
  • Fuel & Weapons: The aircraft will have a large, concealed internal fuel tank of 6.5-tonne capacity, and an internal weapons bay for a range of weapons, including indigenous weapons, to be buried in its belly.
  • Engine Specifications: The AMCA Mk1 variant will have the US-built GE414 engine of the 90 kilonewton (kN) class.
    • The more advanced AMCA Mk2 will fly on the more powerful 110kN engine.
    • This will be developed indigenously by DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in collaboration with a foreign defence major.
  • Specialized Design Features: To maximize engine performance and reduce radar emissions, the AMCA will use cutting-edge design elements like a serpentine air intake duct and a diverterless supersonic inlet.

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Significance of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

The AMCA project is particularly critical as it is India’s only FGFA that is planned for induction at a time when a series of such FGFA development projects are making progress worldwide. China has made great progress in the development and deployment of FGFAs, and has recently deployed its twin-engine J-20 FGFA in Tibet bordering India.

• Boost to Self Reliance (Atmanirbharta) : After India withdrew from its Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) partnership with Russia in 2018, the AMCA project highlights India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defense technology.
• Advantages of Stealth: As a fifth-generation fighter, the AMCA will have a low electromagnetic signature, increasing survivability and lethality in modern combat conditions.
• Enhanced Capabilities: Using enhanced sensors and weaponry, the AMCA will be able to detect and engage hostile aircraft while remaining undetected, providing a major edge over fourth-generation equivalents.
• Operational Implications: The IAF’s need for seven AMCA squadrons emphasizes the importance of increasing India’s air combat capability in the face of diminishing fighter squadron numbers.
• Enhancing Strategic Posturing: While countries like the United States, China, and Russia have fifth-generation stealth fighters, the AMCA will add India to this exclusive list, strengthening its strategic position in the region.
• Addressing Operational Gaps: As older aircraft are retired, the induction of AMCA squadrons will fill crucial operational gaps, guaranteeing a capable air combat force in the future.

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