HAL AMCA

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
AMCA model displayed during Aero India 2021
AMCA inflight (artist's impression)
General information
TypeStealth multirole combat aircraft
National originIndia
ManufacturerHindustan Aeronautics Limited
DesignerAeronautical Development Agency
Aircraft Research and Design Centre (HAL)[1]
Defence Research and Development Organisation
StatusPrototype development[2]
Primary usersIndian Air Force (intended)
Indian Navy (intended)

The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is an Indian single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft being developed for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The Mark-1 variant of the aircraft will be a fifth generation fighter while the Mark-2 variant will have sixth-generation technologies.[3] The aircraft is designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) - an aircraft design agency under MoD. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) consisting of ADA, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and a private company is being formed for the development and production of AMCA.[4] In March 2024, the project received approval from India's Cabinet Committee on Security for the prototype development.[5][6]

AMCA is designed as a single-seat, twin-engine combat aircraft. The AMCA Mark 1 will come equipped with 5th generation technologies and Mark 2 will have the incremental 6th generation technology upgrades.[7][8][9] 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 supplant the Sukhoi Su-30MKI air superiority fighter, which forms the backbone of the IAF fighter fleet.[7][10]

The AMCA design is optimized for low radar cross section and supercruise capability.[11][12] Feasibility study on AMCA and the preliminary design stage have been completed, and the project entered the detailed design phase in February 2019.[13] The AMCA is currently the only 5th generation fighter under development in India.[14]

  1. ^ M, Anantha Krishnan (6 August 2020). "Upgraded Tejas fighter, touted as 'real desi game-changer', to fly in 2022-23". The Week. Archived from the original on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  2. ^ Dubey, Ajit (7 March 2024). "India clears project to develop AMCA 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft". aninews.in. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  3. ^ Kumar, KP Sanjeev (24 October 2020). "When Can Indian Air Force Deploy First 'Desi' 5th Gen Fighter Jet?". TheQuint. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  4. ^ Pubby, Manu (8 March 2024). "Big gain for IAF: Govt clears next-gen fighter prototypes and development". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Fifth-gen fighter AMCA project gets CCS nod". The Indian Express. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b "ADA-Advanced Medium Fighter Aircraft". Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  8. ^ Pubby, Manu. "India likely to produce next generation fighter jets in a private sector-led joint venture". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  9. ^ Rao, Ch Sushil (5 August 2021). "Midhani supplies titanium alloy for medium combat jets' airframe". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  10. ^ Mathews, Neelam (12 September 2018). "India Looks to Indigenous Fighters". AINonline. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Scientists face uphill task developing India's first 5th generation fighter". Bangalore Mirror. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  12. ^ Jha, Manish Kumar (17 November 2021). "With Certainty, LCA MK 2 Aircraft Is Slated To Enter Production By 2027 And AMCA By 2035--HAL CMD R. Madhavan". BW Businessworld. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  13. ^ Kumar, Chetan (23 February 2019). "Aero India 2019: HAL-developed Advanced Medium Aicraft [sic] will be IAF's 1st option for fifth-gen fighter". Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  14. ^ Pandit, Rajat (22 November 2021). "AMCA Fighter Jet: Made-in-India stealth fighter project set to take off in 2022". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.