ADVANCED MEDIUM COMBAT AIRCRAFT (AMCA) PROTOTYPE

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: India’s ambitious project to develop its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), is making significant progress.

EXPLANATION:

  • The Defence Ministry is formulating a model to involve private industry substantially, aiming to ensure timely execution of the project.

Project Timeline and Development Phases

  • Prototype Rollout and Production:
    • The design of the AMCA is complete, and the first prototype is expected to be ready by 2028-29.
    • Production is anticipated to begin around 2032-33, with the goal of having the aircraft ready for induction by 2034, a decade from the project’s sanction date.
  • Private Sector Involvement:
    • Significant private industry involvement is being planned to keep the manufacturing and delivery schedules on track.
    • The Defence Ministry is expected to finalize a model for this involvement within the next six months.
    • An Expression of Interest (EoI) has already been issued to the industry, receiving three responses.

Significance and Strategic Importance

  • India’s Only FGFA Project:
    • The AMCA is critical as it is India’s sole fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project.
    • This project comes at a time when similar FGFA development initiatives are progressing globally, particularly in China, which has recently deployed its J-20 FGFA in Tibet, near the Indian border.

Project Sanction and Specifications

  • CCS Clearance:
    • The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) sanctioned the AMCA project in March.
    • The aircraft is designed as a 25-tonne twin-engine stealth aircraft featuring internal weapons bays and a diverterless supersonic intake—developed for the first time in India.
  • Payload and Fuel Capacity:
    • The AMCA is intended to carry 1,500 kg of internal payload, 5,500 kg of external payload, and 6,500 kg of internal fuel.

Production and Technological Partnerships

  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
    • HAL, the designated production agency for the AMCA project, has already commenced manufacturing activities.
  • Development Phases:
    • The AMCA development will proceed in two phases:
  • MK1 Variant:
    • This variant will be powered by the General Electric F414 engine.
  • MK2 Variant:
    • A more powerful engine is planned for the MK2 variant, which will be co-developed with Saran of France.
    • Discussions for this partnership are currently underway.

Related Aircraft Development Projects

  • Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk2:
    • In addition to the AMCA, the development of the LCA-Mk2 is also on track.
    • The LCA-Mk2 is a larger and more capable aircraft compared to the current LCA models.
    • The prototype is expected to be ready by 2027.
  • CCS Sanction and Engine Specifications:
    • The LCA-Mk2 project received CCS sanction in September 2022, with a total development cost of ₹9,000 crores.
    • It will be powered by the GE F-414 engine, which produces 98kN of thrust, compared to the 84kN thrust of the GE-404 engine used in the LCA Mk1 and MK1A.
    • A deal to licence-manufacture the F-414 engines in India by HAL is nearing conclusion.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/advanced-medium-combat-aircraft-prototype-expected-by-2028-29/article68360061.ece#:~:text=The%20first%20prototype%20is%20expected,%2C%E2%80%9D%20an%20official%20source%20said

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