AMCA to Fly with a Super Brain as ADE Developing Flight Control Computer with 25x Computing Power than Tejas Jets

India's ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program is set to soar to new heights with a cutting-edge "brain" at its core. The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) is developing a next-generation Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) for the AMCA, boasting processing power nearly 25 times greater than that of the Tejas Mk1A and MkII fighter jets.

In modern fighter aircraft, the DFCC acts as the central nervous system, responsible for managing flight control systems and ensuring stability, maneuverability, and overall performance. It processes data from various sensors and pilot inputs, translating them into real-time commands for the aircraft's control surfaces, engines, and avionics.

The AMCA, with its advanced stealth capabilities, sensor fusion, electronic warfare systems, and ability to operate in contested airspace, demands a DFCC with exceptional computational power. This increased processing capacity is crucial for handling the complexity of the aircraft's systems and enabling rapid decision-making in critical situations.

The AMCA's DFCC will be designed to support next-generation features such as AI-enhanced autonomy, advanced stealth management, and multi-role capabilities. This leap in processing power will allow the aircraft to adapt to evolving threats and integrate seamlessly with future defence technologies, including unmanned systems and advanced electronic warfare suites.

Furthermore, the DFCC is being developed with future upgrades in mind. Its architecture will allow for software patches and capability enhancements throughout the AMCA's service life, ensuring it remains at the forefront of aviation technology for decades to come.

 

[Akhil]

This is why indigenous jets are IMPERATIVE. IAF needs to learn. Let's say, Tejas 1 flight computer didn't meet expectations. But now another computer can be developed for AMCA or Tejas 1A or Tejas 2 and can be retrofitted into Tejas 1. Now Tejas 1 flight computer will be BETTER than had the Tejas 1 flight computer met the expectations 2 years ago. But the generals do not understand this.

Tell me if same upgrade will be possible in Rafale? The French will never allow alterations without a hefty fees and involving their engineers and that too may not allow Indian flight computer in first place untill 5-10 years.

 

[Anant]

This is why indigenous jets are IMPERATIVE. IAF needs to learn. Let's say, Tejas 1 flight computer didn't meet expectations. But now another computer can be developed for AMCA or Tejas 1A or Tejas 2 and can be retrofitted into Tejas 1. Now Tejas 1 flight computer will be BETTER than had the Tejas 1 flight computer met the expectations 2 years ago. But the generals do not understand this.

Tell me if same upgrade will be possible in Rafale? The French will never allow alterations without a hefty fees and involving their engineers and that too may not allow Indian flight computer in first place untill 5-10 years.

The French would also have worked on that and put a nice flight computer on, which can be upgraded.

Regardless, while indigenous jets are imperative without doubt, one cannot just indefinitely wait for them either. We need jets now, not in two decades' time.

 

[R. Singh]

Govt, please pump in money and foreign brain to assist ADA+HAL to start rolling out AMCA from 2029 onward, not from-2035 because Chinese J-35 is appeared now !

 

[Akhil]

The French would also have worked on that and put a nice flight computer on, which can be upgraded.

Regardless, while indigenous jets are imperative without doubt, one cannot just indefinitely wait for them either. We need jets now, not in two decades' time.

Are there not delays in MRFA and other big tenders? There will ALWAYS be delays in big tenders, be it for submarines or jets. But the thing is people want easy rewards not the greater rewards. Because they think once the contract is signed it is done no matter the backlog Rafale currently has or the time it will take to set up production line, land acquisition in India etc if it does go that way.

It is important we realise our defense production rate will only increase by building more production lines. And that is time consuming, long term investment. The engineers have to be trained, there are multiple factories each for individual components. Even a single component can delay production like (US engine for example). Unlike popular belief here, HAL is not manufacturing gears, bolts , radio sets, or every other small niche components. So it's a complex ecosystem. But if we fail Tejas, we fail our entire defense ecosystem forever. Not HAL which will survive being a big Navratna but small private 3rd party vendors which may be next big drone manufacturer.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Is any Indian company making processors, microcontroller and DFCC.

 

[kurtwallis wallis]

Is any Indian company making processors, microcontroller and DFCC.

NO! ADE is using the latest PowerPC chips that are used in Apple Macbooks and PC's....

 

[prasant kumar shaarma]

Tell me if same upgrade will be possible in Rafale? The French will never allow alterations without a hefty fees and involving their engineers and that too may not allow Indian flight computer in first place untill 5-10 years.

But thing is that they are offering us an aircraft many aspects of which are very new to us.
we will learn significantly more things by purchasing those aircrafts which will help us making improvements in our own aircrafts.

 

[Devasahayam]

Huge mistake made by India was to give up on HF-24 after its first attempt at getting supersonic speed via reheat (afterburner?)...imagine had Wright Brothers given up after their first failure to take off again or first crash, there would be no aviation.

 

[Sandeep]

India will definitely need a very fast and secure computer for the AMCA because of the advanced technology, equipment, net centric warfare capable, software, sensors and programs etc that is all being used at the same time.

India has made a lot of improvements with designing, developing and manufacturing advanced chips and semiconductors 100% indigenously. We now need to ensure our system, computer, technology and chips are secure to use for the Tejas MK1A, MK2 and AMCA. We can’t use any foreign technology, software and chips which might be easy to hack or have a back door installed which could corrupt and ground our entire fleet leaving us defenceless.

 

[Vipul Kumar]

NO! ADE is using the latest PowerPC chips that are used in Apple Macbooks and PC's....

Drdo designs the chips and semiconductors for its needs but it sends its design in foreign nations for fabrication

 

[Vipul Kumar]

Is any Indian company making processors, microcontroller and DFCC.

There are drdo labs like sitar and ssl that develops and designs semiconductor related chips and processors however fabrication is done in foreign nation as india Lacks semiconductor manufacturing.

 

[Arjun]

There are drdo labs like sitar and ssl that develops and designs semiconductor related chips and processors however fabrication is done in foreign nation as india Lacks semiconductor manufacturing.

The fabrication is also done in a DRDO Lab nd i think in IIT Bombay Semiconductor facility.. these are the 2 operational fabrication facility.. mostly used for defense and sensitive purposes..
maybe mass production happens outside like u said.. but soon fabrication will start in india so thats good

 

[Vipul Kumar]

The fabrication is also done in a DRDO Lab nd i think in IIT Bombay Semiconductor facility.. these are the 2 operational fabrication facility.. mostly used for defense and sensitive purposes..
maybe mass production happens outside like u said.. but soon fabrication will start in india so thats good

Scl Mohali is under planning to get upgradation maybe all defence related chips will ve manufactured there in future. Govt officials confirmed for its upgradation for defence and commercial purposes.

 

[Anant]

Are there not delays in MRFA and other big tenders? There will ALWAYS be delays in big tenders, be it for submarines or jets. But the thing is people want easy rewards not the greater rewards. Because they think once the contract is signed it is done no matter the backlog Rafale currently has or the time it will take to set up production line, land acquisition in India etc if it does go that way.

It is important we realise our defense production rate will only increase by building more production lines. And that is time consuming, long term investment. The engineers have to be trained, there are multiple factories each for individual components. Even a single component can delay production like (US engine for example). Unlike popular belief here, HAL is not manufacturing gears, bolts , radio sets, or every other small niche components. So it's a complex ecosystem. But if we fail Tejas, we fail our entire defense ecosystem forever. Not HAL which will survive being a big Navratna but small private 3rd party vendors which may be next big drone manufacturer.

Boss, I am not disagreeing with what you say. In fact, your point about what comes after the contract signing is often not considered by many.

I also agree that scaling up indigenous industries will require more production facilities and lines. However, as you very well put it, that is a long-term investment.

It takes decades to get a mature defence industrial setup going, and there is only so much speeding up you can do by throwing money at the problem. The concern here is that we need a lot of things now, which means we have to go for imports / local partnerships one more time before self-sufficiency.

No one is saying MRFA or any other project should be at the cost of the Tejas, least of all me. However, we also need to be realistic. HAL plans to build 16 or 24 Tejas jets a year, but historical performance and simple production engineering shows that this is arguably too optimistic a goal given present order sizes.

That then leaves you with three options: Either order more Tejas jets to justify setting up even more infrastructure, or go for a foreign alternative to back squadron numbers up while the Tejas enters service replacing something like the MiG-21, or just accept the situation and do nothing.

Option 3 is pointless to start with. Now, if you look at Option 1, that potentially has long-term benefits, but is very detrimental in the short- and medium-term. Even if we build more production facilities and order more jets, it will take well over a decade for these facilities to hit steady state, which then means the Tejas itself would be an aging type when latter batches enter service.

Thus, the only viable solution is Option 2. We keep focusing on the Tejas, and work to improve production rates and efficiency to the extent possible. However, in order to ensure the IAF doesn't collapse to a critically low strength, we go for imports with a local partnership model one last time. That alleviates some of that pressure from the Tejas program, gets us jets to use, and allows for more suppliers and production partners to set up, and these can then contribute to indigenous projects after 15-20 years when they are at steady state and our domestic defence industrial base is more mature than it is today.

 

[Ravindra Singh]

this 25x will we <1000x from american system. i am 100 % sure.

 

[Baljeet Singh]

Great!

We should work reduce chip reliance too.

 

[Rishav Raj]

Is any Indian company making processors, microcontroller and DFCC.

CCDAC is working on class of processor. AUM proceesor for supercomputer are being developed with moschip and a Japanese company, on 5nm Tsmc node