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What is India's 5th-gen AMCA jet, when will it fly and why does it matter?
India's first 5th-generation stealth aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), is expected to be inducted by 2035, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir V Kamat. India is among a select few nations that are developing stealth aircraft.
Kamat has said that the 5.5-generation AMCA fighter is a stealth aircraft, adding that the DRDO has initiated the development process and the aircraft's design is already completed. According to Kamat, DRDO aim's to finish AMCA's development trials by 2034, with induction slated for 2035.
The AMCA has also been described as a 5.5-generation fighter aircraft in several media reports and by members of India's defence establishment in the past. This means that it will incorporate some of the features that will be seen in the upcoming 6th-generation jets being developed by the United States (US) and China, which already operate 5th generation platforms.
What is India's 5th-generation AMCA fighter?
The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the project to design and develop the AMCA jet on March 7, 2024.
The AMCA is a fifth-generation, medium-weight stealth fighter jet being developed by the DRDO under a project valued at approximately Rs 15,000 crore.
A fifth-generation fighter jet has four key attributes. First, it is stealthy, meaning it is nearly invisible to enemy radars due to its low radar cross section.
Second, it has the capability to "supercruise," allowing it to fly faster than the speed of sound without relying on fuel-intensive afterburners.
Third, it is equipped with advanced avionics and sensors for network-centric operations. Increasingly, artificial intelligence is also being integrated to enhance the pilot-aircraft interface.
Lastly, it should be able to outrange its adversaries by detecting and engaging targets from long distances, achieved through the use of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars.
DRDO's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is leading the development of the stealth jet and its associated technologies, in collaboration with various private and public sector agencies.
According to government sources cited by a March 2024 ANI report, around five prototypes will be built within five years.
These prototypes will be manufactured by industry partners, including the public sector unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The project clearance marks just the beginning of a long and complex technological journey.
The first two squadrons of AMCAs are planned to be powered by GE-414 engines from American engine manufacturer GE Aerospace.
However, discussions have been underway to co-develop more powerful engines for the subsequent squadrons.
The Indian Air Force could eventually induct over 200 of these fighter jets.
The AMCA project has already seen significant delays.
According to a December 2019 Business Standard report, the ADA, the agency that oversees the Tejas and AMCA programmes, had targeted AMCA's first flight for 2024-25. Back then, series manufacturing of the AMCA was planned to start by 2028-29.
Why does India need AMCA urgently?
India's continuing tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Beijing's growing military power are the primary reasons.
Alongside the US and Russia, China already operates a stealth jet fleet, which it has been reportedly bolstering. Even the likes of Turkey and South Korea are ahead of India in the 5th-generation fighter race.
Towards the end of May 2024, China reportedly deployed at least six of its Chengdu J-20, also known as Mighty Dragon, stealth fighter aircraft within 150 kilometres (km) of the Indian border in Sikkim.
The J-20A Mighty Dragon is China's first fifth-generation fighter jet and the most advanced combat aircraft in its arsenal.
This was also not the first instance of China deploying the J-20 near its border with India.
For example, two J-20 fighters were reported at the Hotan airbase in China's Xinjiang region in August 2020. Located 320 km from Aksai Chin, the Hotan airbase is the closest Chinese airbase to the disputed region.
China is also accelerating the production of its J-20 fighters. In February 2023, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported that China was outpacing the United States in the production of stealth aircraft.
China’s inventory of the J-20, its first fifth-generation fighter, was expected to surpass that of the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor in the same year.
As of 2024, the US Air Force operates about 180 F-22 jets. Meanwhile, by February 2023, China had already produced over 150 J-20 fighters, according to the IISS.
There are indications that China may be ramping up production even further, with some reports suggesting that China may have built its 200th J-20 aircraft by the end of 2023.
These developments underscore the importance of successfully developing and inducting the AMCA.
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