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Fast tracking the AMCA

The original M-MRCA requirement fo r 126 a i r c ra f t , invo lv ing comprehen s i v e t r an s f e r o f

technologies for manufacture of the selected aircraft in India, has been virtually set aside with the Government of India now pursuing a truncated deal for 36 Rafales, all to be imported. The Defence Minister has stated that there would be no further additions to that number and the Indian Air Force may well have to pursue other options to meet its increasing degradation of fighter aircraft numbers. However, the lack of clarity and commitment from the Government gives the Indian Air Force an impetus to work on longer-term procurement plans.

Even if the Rafale deal for two squadrons comes through, this will only somewhat alleviate the decline in the IAF’s combat strength. The long-term solution may be in ‘fast tracking’ the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), rather than only resort to expensive import solutions.

Strategic autonomy demands that India reduce its dependence on arms imports. Simply obtaining licences for producing technology-intensive weapons systems does not reduce dependency. For the ‘Make in India’ objective to be a practical success, we need to create the capacity to develop and produce critical platforms particularly combat aircraft types. We have, for half a century, built various fighters, from the Gnat, MiG-21 and Jaguar to the Sukhoi Su-30MKI through this route, but accrued very

little in the way of indigenous development capabilities.

The three decade journey in developing ADA’s Light Combat Aircraft has been long and torturous, and the Mk.I is yet to be finally cleared to enter the IAF in numbers. Still, its development has laid the foundations and technological infrastructure for development of new

generation aircraft and includes design expertise, integration of weapon systems and advanced avionics. This can be leveraged for the development of India’s next indigenous fighter aircraft, the AMCA, which if still very early in its development phase, holds considerable potential to replace a wide range of legacy IAF fighters in the medium-weight multi-role category.

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is designing the AMCA as a platform having high survivability to meet the challenges

of future air warfare. Its design philosophy seeks to balance aerodynamics with stealth characteristics and the AMCA will be optimised to seamlessly swing between air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

The AMCA must perforce be a generation ahead of what the IAF currently operates and will increase the force’s capabilities dramatically. Conceptualised around air staff requirements issued in 2010, this 5th generation fighter will incorporate stealth features, have super-cruise, with smart sensors fully integrated and carry advanced weaponry, both internal and external. However, ADA must avoid the pitfall of developing this next generation combat aircraft without first identifying the powerplant which must have growth potential.

The AMCA programme is expected to receive formal approval at the end of 2015 after the programme definition and feasibility are completed over the next months. Crucial for the programme’s success will be the timeline for its development and series production. Unlike the LCA in the 1980s, when India embarked to design, develop and build decided a fourth generation fighter aircraft from scratch, the AMCA will draw upon the three decades of experience gained since and build upon already available technologies and systems.

The IAF has been accused of lacking strategic long-term planning but in backing the development of such a fifth generation indigenous fighter aircraft, the Service has an opportunity to break free from the past.

Th e O b s e r v e r R e s e a r c h Foundation (ORF) and The

Society for Aerospace Studies, (SAS) publishers of the Vayu Aerospace and Defence Review, held a joint workshop on 26 May 2015, wi th the twin topics of ‘Beyond the MMRCA: Numbers and Missions’ and ‘Fast Tracking the indigenous AMCA programme’.

O R F ’ s P u s h a n D a s summarises the day’s proceedings, with a detailed report to follow in Vayu V/2015.

(The writer is a researcher at Observer Research Foundation, Delhi)