DRDO must make 5th Generation AMCA happen: IAF chief

Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Tuesday praised the Defence Research and Development Organisation for delivering successful weapon system to the IAF in the past and said the DRDO must make the 5th Generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) happen.

In his address at the 41st DRDO Directors Conference here, he also said technology leadership in future would mean it will give us a technological edge over the adversaries.

"Technology leadership is the crux that defines DRDO, should define DRDO. We have a long history of association with the DRDO. In 70s, we were way behind our adversaries and then DRDO stepped in and the very first electronic warfare system that gave us technological parity, not an advantage but parity for sure," he said.

With simple radar warning system and electronic warfare system, it changed the way the IAF took operations and offensives into deep airspaces, the IAF chief said.

"Now the AMCA... it has taken off, it is a DRDO project. And, just because we call it fifth generation, doesn't mean we limit the technology to fifth generation, and technology would be fifth and even sixth generation. We just call it fifth generation.

"And, DRDO must make it happen... as not only your pride is at stake, but also of the IAF," he said.

In his message on the Air Force Day on October 8, he had stressed the need to focus on indigenous design and manufacturing and said the IAF is fully committed towards indigenous development of high technology hardware in consonance with 'Make in India'.

"We have started building the LCA (Light Combat Aircraft Tejas) fleet. We already have one squadron operational and five more will be inducted in the near future. The development of indigenous 5th Generation Advanced Multi-role Combat Aircraft (AMCA) has been launched.

"In helicopters, we already operate the Advanced Light Helicopter, and will soon induct the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) 'Made in India'. In Surface-to-Air Missile, we have operationalised the indigenous Akash system and are well on our way to induct more such systems," Bhadauria had said.