Why India's AMCA Outpaces Foreign-Backed Fighter Programs

India's steadfast pursuit of its Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program underscores the nation's unwavering commitment to achieving self-reliance in defence technologies.

While rival programs such as South Korea's KF-21 Boramae and Turkey's KAAN have made strides, India's singular focus on indigenous development sets it apart in the landscape of advanced fighter jet initiatives.

The Limitations of Dependence​

Both the KF-21 and KAAN programs, though ambitious in scope, rely heavily on foreign assistance and technology. Defence expert highlights that the KF-21 incorporates significant contributions from American companies such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. Turkey's KAAN program has similarly benefited from assistance by BAE Systems and US-based firms.

This dependence introduces potential hurdles. Delays are one concern, as foreign partners may have competing priorities or become subject to geopolitical influences.

Furthermore, relying on external sources for critical technologies limits a nation's control over the final product and can potentially increase the risk of espionage.

India's Bold Path to Self-Reliance​

In stark contrast, India has charted a course for the AMCA program defined by a commitment to indigenous development.

By declining potentially lucrative partnerships offered through the MRFA program, India aims to achieve over 70% indigenous content in its advanced fighter, a significant feat compared to its peers. This strategy ensures India maintains complete technological sovereignty over the AMCA.

Though the AMCA program may have had a later start than those of South Korea and Turkey, its self-directed nature brings unique advantages. India mitigates the risks tied to geopolitics and external dependencies.

Moreover, the nation benefits from accelerated technological advancement driven by the necessity of developing all systems domestically.

National Security and Technological Advancement​

India's pursuit of the AMCA extends beyond technological independence; it is a cornerstone of a broader vision for bolstering national defence capabilities.

By achieving self-sufficiency in this critical sector, India ensures unhindered development and control of a vital element of its military power.

As India continues its trajectory toward becoming an aerospace technology leader, the AMCA program stands as a bold testament to its ambition.

The nation's focus on indigenous development and strategic autonomy serves as a model for other countries seeking to strengthen their own defence sectors while maintaining technological sovereignty.

 

[NSR]

It is a great idea to design and develop and manufacture our own 5th Generation fighter.
However, sadly speaking we do not have the entire ecosystem in the fighter programs to be successful yet.
Remember, we are still dependent on USA for engine, UK for ejection seat and IFR probe, and even Russia and Ukraine for some only God knows what components.

And then many countries are already moving to 5th Generation fighter.

So my best assessment is that India must join UK, Italy and Japan consortium as full=fledged member and bear full 1/4th cost of development and manufacturing of the 6th Generation fighter.
It will be ready by 2035 and India can surely contribute its supremacy in software and cost-effective manufacturing to the whole team.

Sometimes, we have grit our teeth and bite the lips and bear the pain but make very hard decisions for Indian future.

 

[Pad UwU]

Fun fact:
Korea's kf21 mk1 is price $65m and SK government order a minimum of 40+ jets.
They already testing and further developing it's mk2, while it's mk3 is one drawing board.

Turks Kaan on the other hand is price at a minimum of $110m per jet. And it's bigger than f22, j20 and su57. Mk2 is now development stage, while it's mk1 is need further finishing....

Currently India's AMCA is still on drawing board and no prototype

Sad reality 🙃

 

[De_SECULARISED]

Please sort out Engine fiasco first.

 

[charminar_waale_ismail_bhai]

The article is a joke, written by a fanboi.
I have been hearing of this project since 2004 when it was named as MCA and was a tailless design.
Later on ADA came to the realisation fhat a tailless design was outside of the technological capabilities of the Indian aeronautical industry. Later on the design was revised to incorporate a tail based design and the name of the project was rechristened to AMCA.

So, it would be technically incorrect for the article to claim that AMCA project started later than the Turkish and the Korean projects.

Once can claim that the actual project was only kick started recently after CCS's approval of the project but it would be dishonest of most of us who have been following military news closely to fall for the claim that AMCA is a later project than the KAAN and KF-21.

 

[Pad UwU]

It is a great idea to design and develop and manufacture our own 5th Generation fighter.
However, sadly speaking we do not have the entire ecosystem in the fighter programs to be successful yet.
Remember, we are still dependent on USA for engine, UK for ejection seat and IFR probe, and even Russia and Ukraine for some only God knows what components.

And then many countries are already moving to 5th Generation fighter.

So my best assessment is that India must join UK, Italy and Japan consortium as full=fledged member and bear full 1/4th cost of development and manufacturing of the 6th Generation fighter.
It will be ready by 2035 and India can surely contribute its supremacy in software and cost-effective manufacturing to the whole team.

Sometimes, we have grit our teeth and bite the lips and bear the pain but make very hard decisions for Indian future.

Same as I commented on other previous article... But sadly many Indian bureaucrats are honey trap by macron😹😹😹

 

[Divyansh Bhutra]

• This would be self-defeating because it would neither be cost-competitive nor export-oriented and the space would be grabbed upon by USA, RoK & Turkiye in 5th gen class leaving India for Africans & Latin Americans.
• Every succeeding generation will be more pricier than preceding. And if French, Germans, British & Americans have learnt lessons in offsetting cost through developmental workshare arrangements, Indians should --- by not doing we would be none wiser. They are the inventors, pioneers & top-notches of aviation ecosystem. Following Chinese & Russian autarchic Aatmanirbhar route will come at a cost.
• KF-21relies no more "heavily" than AMCA would on French, USA, German, Malaysia, Netherlands. 18 exact technologies were not granted by USA. LM, RTX, L3H, MooG, etc.. filled the gap through consultation & collaboration. South Koreans have time, money & export advantage over us.
• Minimize the risk of espionage.....Huhh❗How many defence personnel & DRDO have been honey trapped 🍯? India imports all military grade servers, workstation, HPC, microprocessors, DSP, CPU, GPU, machine tools, CNC from GVCs. That's how things are "vulnerable".

Developing critical technology ourselves would have a serious cost advantage over the long run. It's simply common sense, that a monopolised product is more expensive. And according to Lockheed Martin themselves, one of the primary focus of the 6th generation fighters is to reduce costs, and simplify manufacturing. So I don't know which genius source you've read to say that future generations will be more expensive. And KA21 got more than 70% of it's tech from USA, according to, again, official Lockheed Martin documents. Meanwhile even Tejas MK1A has 75.5 % indigenous components, which doesn't include all the software. DRDO is aiming for 90% plus indigenous components for AMCA. I feel you should reevaluate your source's legitimacy.

 

[Divyansh Bhutra]

India is the 4th country to seriously design and try to produce 5th gen fighter jet.

USA way ahead.

RUSSIA and CHINA catching up.

INDIA way behind.

Most of the European countries are going for 6th gen unmanned

The countries you spoke of have had proper investments into this sector for more than a century. You think it won't take time for India to do something so ambitious. To be very honest, I'm more surprised at how well they're doing despite the lack of experience.

 

[Divyansh Bhutra]

This is the crucial difference that people don't understand when they say South Korea and Turkey are overtaking India when they aren't as they are just buying parts, components, equipment and technology from the USA and NATO allies.

India is developing everything by itself which is essential if we want to learn the science and technology involved to develop this jet because nobody else will give it to us. This jet will become the backbone of the IAF which we need to increase our fire power and squadron strength.

They're not buying. They're straight up getting every crucial thing by collaborating. According to Lockheed Martin, KA21 has US developed flight control systems, flight computers, software, communication systems, engines, along with major assistance in the design itself. India's approach is commendable, to say the least.

 

[Divyansh Bhutra]

What is wrong with taking help from friends in developing the K 21 and the KAAN, which can help expedite the induction of these fighters?

That it'll make us dependent on a country which has a record of destroying it's own allies when they tried overtaking them. China and Japan are two very good examples.

 

[Divyansh Bhutra]

It is a great idea to design and develop and manufacture our own 5th Generation fighter.
However, sadly speaking we do not have the entire ecosystem in the fighter programs to be successful yet.
Remember, we are still dependent on USA for engine, UK for ejection seat and IFR probe, and even Russia and Ukraine for some only God knows what components.

And then many countries are already moving to 5th Generation fighter.

So my best assessment is that India must join UK, Italy and Japan consortium as full=fledged member and bear full 1/4th cost of development and manufacturing of the 6th Generation fighter.
It will be ready by 2035 and India can surely contribute its supremacy in software and cost-effective manufacturing to the whole team.

Sometimes, we have grit our teeth and bite the lips and bear the pain but make very hard decisions for Indian future.

Your method would ensure a fast induction of 6th Gen jets. No doubt. But what India is currently doing would ensure we're not dependent on any country that can cripple our airforce with sanctions if we don't agree with them for our interests.

 

[NSR]

Your method would ensure a fast induction of 6th Gen jets. No doubt. But what India is currently doing would ensure we're not dependent on any country that can cripple our airforce with sanctions if we don't agree with them for our interests.

We are surely on our way to independence but takes time.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

This article is little more than a propaganda piece, that is trying to justify inordinate delays. What the article writer and its real backers don't realize is that incremental and interactive program management is the most realistic and pragmatic approach to platform development. Sure induct indigenous platforms but do it incrementally. Focus should always be on inducting as fast as possible rather than doing everything at once. Sneer all u like about TAI and KAI having imported components in their fighters. But they will induct them far faster and will probably have multiple operational squadrons before we will even see AMCA.

Technology is not static and is a dynamic concept and will keep evolving. hence by the time our DRDO with their convoluted concept of indigenous development come up with even a prototype, KF--21 and KAAN will have entered operational service and AMCA will become uncompetitive due to having aged avionics which suffered from huge delayed development and thus is unable to match the technology then available.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

They're not buying. They're straight up getting every crucial thing by collaborating. According to Lockheed Martin, KA21 has US developed flight control systems, flight computers, software, communication systems, engines, along with major assistance in the design itself. India's approach is commendable, to say the least.

Who asked DRDO not to collaborate? In fact DRDO advised the government against participating in any multi-national collaborative effort. Yet what we see is AMCA will still have a whole bunch of imported sub-systems, that were acquired under the table just to maintain the facade of indigenous development.

 

[Sandeep]

They're not buying. They're straight up getting every crucial thing by collaborating. According to Lockheed Martin, KA21 has US developed flight control systems, flight computers, software, communication systems, engines, along with major assistance in the design itself. India's approach is commendable, to say the least.

Collaborating is just another word of learning how to make the product but only after you buy a large quantity that I produce from my factory in the USA. Even then they won’t get 100% of the technology transferred so it’s straight up buying because by the time they finish buying those USA supplied parts or technology then it would of had to be a large quantity and then the world USA slowly drip feed the technology on how to make the product. But still you won’t get 100%. Also before that you would have strict controls and regulation on the contract between the USA and South Korea. Also for the next 40+ years South Korea would be stuck with relying on the USA for the expensive parts, supplies, sensors, components and any technology that the USA gave and South Korea would have no choice to pay if they wanted to keep their jets flying to protect them from North Korea.