HAL AMCA
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is an Indian programme to develop a fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy which will also include sixth-generation technologies. The design of the aircraft is carried out by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is expected to be produced by a public-private joint venture between the DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and an Indian private company. The development cost is estimated to be around ₹15,000 crore (~$2 billion).
| Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft | |
|---|---|
| AMCA model displayed at the Aero India 2021 | |
| Role | Stealth multirole fighter |
| National origin | India |
| Manufacturer | Hindustan Aeronautics Limited |
| Design group | Aeronautical Development Agency Aircraft Research and Design Centre (HAL) Defence Research and Development Organisation |
| Status | In development |
| Primary users | Indian Air Force (intended) Indian Navy (intended) |
As of February 2023, DRDO has completed design of AMCA and is waiting for "Critical Design Review'", which according to The Indian Express, is a technical review to ensure that the system of an aircraft can proceed into fabrication, demonstration and test and can meet performance requirements.
AMCA will be a single-seat, twin-engine aircraft. The AMCA Mark 1 will come equipped with 5.5 generation technologies and Mark 2 will have the incremental 6th generation technology upgrades. The AMCA is intended to perform a multitude of missions including Air supremacy, Ground-Strike, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and Electronic Warfare (EW) missions. It is intended to be a potent replacement for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI air superiority fighter, which forms the backbone of the IAF fighter fleet.
The AMCA design is optimised for low radar cross section and supercruise capability. Feasibility study on AMCA and the preliminary design stage have been completed, and the project entered the detailed design phase in February 2019. The AMCA is currently the only 5th generation fighter under development in India.
Some analysts have questioned the feasibility of India's ability to independently develop a fifth generation fighter aircraft as India lacks the industrial base and technical capabilities to do so. The analysts note that India also lacks a robust military industrial base to manufacture the aircraft in large numbers, asserting instead that India should either elicit foreign collaboration or join a multi-national fighter program such as the European FCAS which would benefit the development of the AMCA project.