5th-gen stealth fighter jet project takes wing

The Ministry of Defence has invited bids to develop a prototype of the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, a step that is set to boost India’s indigenous defence capabilities and strengthen the domestic aerospace industry.

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The private industry has been invited to participate in the project — a first for the military aviation sector — and will involve development of new technology.

The ministry said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had approved the “programme execution model” for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will execute the programme through industry partnership, providing equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis.

Bidding can be done independently, as a joint venture or as consortia. The entity or the bidder will have to be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the land.

The ministry said it would be an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, and a major milestone towards “aatmanirbharta” in the aerospace sector.

The ADA will soon issue an expression of interest (EoI) for the AMCA Development Phase.

In March last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved the proposal to design and manufacture AMCA.

The Rs 15,000-crore project involves the development of design and prototype of the aircraft. It will have two variants with different engines — Mark 1 is expected to be powered by General Electric (GE) F414 98 kilonewton (kN) engine and advanced Mark 2 may have a 110 kN engine, which is being developed.

The IAF is looking at seven squadrons (18 planes each) of AMCA — two of Mark 1 and the rest of Mark 2.

Mark 2 will be powered by new indigenous engines for which Safran of France, GE of the US and Rolls Royce of the UK are the contenders.

The aircraft will have the latest avionics and indigenous AESA radar, besides the capability to carry weapons internally as well as externally.

Currently, only the US (F-22 Raptor), Russia (Su-57) and China (J-20) have developed fifth-generation fighter jets.

Rs 15K-cr AMCA project

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft will have 2 variants — Mark 1 with 98 kN engine & Mark 2 with more powerful 110 kN engine

It will have latest avionics and indigenous active electronically scanned array radar & can carry weapons internally and externally

Only the US (F-22, F-35), Russia (Su-57) and China (J-20) have developed fifth-generation fighter jets