HAL Aims to Achieve 90% Indigenous Content in AMCA Mk2 by 2033, Powered by Indian-Developed 110kN Engine

India's ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) MkII program is poised to significantly boost the nation's defence self-reliance, with HAL and ADA targeting 90% indigenous content by 2033. This fifth-generation fighter jet, designed with advanced stealth, cutting-edge avionics, and high-performance capabilities, represents a major leap forward in India's quest for technological independence in the defence sector.

The AMCA MkII program aims to roll out its first prototype by late 2028. Initially, this prototype will feature approximately 70% indigenous components. However, the long-term vision is to progressively replace imported systems with domestically developed alternatives, culminating in 90% indigenous content by the time the aircraft enters production in late 2033.

A pivotal element of the AMCA MkII's indigenization effort is its engine. The aircraft will be powered by an indigenously developed 110kN engine, a significant technological achievement for India. This engine, developed in collaboration with a foreign partner, is crucial for achieving the desired thrust and performance, while simultaneously reducing reliance on foreign suppliers for this critical component.

While the specific collaborator has not been officially disclosed, it is known that India has been in talks with international engine manufacturers like Safran (France), Rolls-Royce (UK), and GE Aviation (USA) for potential partnerships in advanced engine development.

While the 90% indigenization target is ambitious, industry experts acknowledge that achieving complete self-sufficiency is not economically feasible. As noted by experts, attempting 100% indigenization could significantly inflate production costs, driving up the unit price of each fighter jet. This echoes concerns previously raised in other complex defence projects, where the pursuit of absolute indigenization has sometimes resulted in cost overruns and project delays.

Consequently, the remaining 10% of the AMCA MkII's systems may continue to be sourced from international suppliers. These components are anticipated to be of less strategic importance, ensuring that their absence from the Indian supply chain would not significantly compromise the aircraft's operational capabilities.

This strategic balance allows India to benefit from global expertise and potentially more cost-effective solutions for specific, non-critical components while primarily focusing on domestic development for core technologies. In the event of global supply chain disruptions or sanctions, the impact of losing access to these non-essential components would be minimal, as they would not affect the core performance or strategic utility of the AMCA MkII.

The AMCA program will place India among a select group of nations capable of developing and manufacturing fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The current global landscape of fifth-generation fighters includes the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, the Chinese Chengdu J-20, and the Russian Sukhoi Su-57.

Achieving substantial indigenization in such a complex project would be a testament to India's growing technological prowess and industrial capabilities in the defence sector. The successful development of the AMCA Mk2 will also likely provide a boost to India's aerospace ecosystem, potentially leading to the development of ancillary industries and creating high-skilled employment opportunities.

 

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[Somebody]

What about MK1, haven’t started MK1 yet, already dreaming about MK2.

 

[sanket]

That stop all debate of joining Tempest or FCAS, 90 % Indigenous content show how capbable are our design research & development, one of component Should b Indigenously developed is Ejection seat hope it will b in 90 % Indigenous content, some comedians were saying Joining kf-21 will b good or even joining Tempest / FCAS it was pure Business Funda

 

[Admiral kanhoji angre]

Can we roll out indigenous engine by 2028? Most likely be indigenous f414 i.e if the deal goes through.

more pressing concern is Tejas mk2. It needs to fly now.

 

[Anant]

Can we roll out indigenous engine by 2028? Most likely be indigenous f414 i.e if the deal goes through.

more pressing concern is Tejas mk2. It needs to fly now.

Indigenous engine as in the Kaveri or the new 110 kN engine? Or do you mean the locally-built F414? Because in the latter case, it isn't an indigenous engine.

 

[Satya Dev]

The remaining 10% import content will account for what - 70% of cost?

 

[Paul]

I’m confident that we can achieve 90% or more indigenous content in the AMCA. However, the real question is: when? Achieving this will take a minimum of 20 years, by which time other countries may already be a generation ahead in technology.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Ejection seats, jet engine, refueling systems, many chips and electronic components, helmet displays will be imported. What other subsystems will be imported? We should have industry academia partnership to develop most of such subsystems.
Important to stick to timelines. Their late 2028 should not be 2029 and beyond.

 

[beencensured]

Indigenous engine as in the Kaveri or the new 110 kN engine? Or do you mean the locally-built F414? Because in the latter case, it isn't an indigenous engine.

80% localization of ge414 might meet indigenous goals.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

Sir any timelines of AMCA mk1 5.5 gen?

 

[Raj]

We need fighters Now not after 20yrs. Collab with someone gain experience & work on our own. Same with fighter or engine tech.
I think trusting usa democrats or russian tech will be biggest headache.

 

[Selven]

Here is a crazy idea.. Why not aim for for 90% fleet renewal? So far behind.
Get the aircraft to fill in the slots. Gripen, Rafale, f-21. Just move!
Stealth.. Make a choice. EU... Usa.. On tour own.. Whatever.
But India has to stop the questions and move

 

[Leo red]

By the way I am.sure it will take time means while looking at drones which are now being bulk produced and even effectively managed by other small countries. Our defence forces should not be illiterate in drone warfare. Every soldiers should be trained with it. Fighters may not be much effective in highly defended air defence systems. For prolong war like in Ukraine we need large fleet of drones missiles and artillerys. Which can be produced faster then this fighters which will take years in just first flight.

 

[What the heck]

80% localization of ge414 might meet indigenous goals.

No GE F414 is still not indigenous, they are supposed to learn from making this engine and apply that to Kaveri to make it better.

 

[What the heck]

That stop all debate of joining Tempest or FCAS, 90 % Indigenous content show how capbable are our design research & development, one of component Should b Indigenously developed is Ejection seat hope it will b in 90 % Indigenous content, some comedians were saying Joining kf-21 will b good or even joining Tempest / FCAS it was pure Business Funda

Ejection seat is made in tie up with Martin Baker, there is nothing indigenous.

 

[beencensured]

Here is a crazy idea.. Why not aim for for 90% fleet renewal? So far behind.
Get the aircraft to fill in the slots. Gripen, Rafale, f-21. Just move!
Stealth.. Make a choice. EU... Usa.. On tour own.. Whatever.
But India has to stop the questions and move

They put order for 40 AMCA 1 they expect localization of parts with small orders. The issue is the system. There can be more interest in localization if there is some economics of scale in production. They forget India is a big country and needs a defense, and more importantly a offensive capability.

 

[Kos]

it is high time to include the private sector such as godrej boyce and other promising startups to develop jet engines. The government is willing to pay literally billions of USD to foreign companies for tech, but not willing to put in fractions of that sum as seed money to indian R&D. GoI needs to wake up and smell the Indian coffee beans.

 

[Hey]

80% localization of ge414 might meet indigenous goals.

We don't know the exact % , all are just speculation that's why finalising the deal takes time..

And we are not getting any hot core section TOT , so chill we are doing this deal to not meet the same fate as in F404..

We will gain some experience & get a little TOT for critical components & nothing else

 

[Hey]

I’m confident that we can achieve 90% or more indigenous content in the AMCA. However, the real question is: when? Achieving this will take a minimum of 20 years, by which time other countries may already be a generation ahead in technology.

We can only achieve 70% above indigenous content through Private vendors, DPSU can make all minor components.. If our MSMEs get mature to make components through TOT, only then we can think about becoming self reliant.

 

[Hey]

Sir any timelines of AMCA mk1 5.5 gen?

As of now 2028-29 for roll-out, remember we are not Turkey, South Korea or Japan. We can't get the access of Western components that easily, they are just rolling out the jets with western components & later through TOT tranfer making those components in the country. Whereas we are making everything from scratch, all the AMCA components will be tested on Tejas mk2 first & then their block improvements will be tested on the prototype of AMCA Mk1

 

[Gajanan Hirde]

What about MK1, haven’t started MK1 yet, already dreaming about MK2.

No sooner BD will screw India. Forget Pak and China

 

[Gajanan Hirde]

This government will not da anything. Just sit on the couch

 

[beencensured]

We don't know the exact % , all are just speculation that's why finalising the deal takes time..

And we are not getting any hot core section TOT , so chill we are doing this deal to not meet the same fate as in F404..

We will gain some experience & get a little TOT for critical components & nothing else

Remember, I do not make rules. What is speculated in press releases and elsewhere is not wrong to use. Please do not be cowed down by the arms lobbyists in the forum. They have one purpose: to stop indigenization and development and increase the purchase of foreign equipment. Their use of good English gives away that they are being paid.

 

[Sandeep]

it is high time to include the private sector such as godrej boyce and other promising startups to develop jet engines. The government is willing to pay literally billions of USD to foreign companies for tech, but not willing to put in fractions of that sum as seed money to indian R&D. GoI needs to wake up and smell the Indian coffee beans.

The problem you get is that if you fund the government sector then you have to rely on GTRE who have failed to develop a suitable engine for modern combat. Also there is no single private company who can develop a successful engine alone in the country but there’s substantial risk. The opposition will create a farce and blame the government of not funding or developing an engine under the government sector companies. Also they will then claim that the government is just acting like a crony capitalist and destroying government institutions if they fund the private sector and also there’s still no guarantee that they will succeed. So that’s the political trap and problem as we have a useless opposition who is more interested in power.

 

[Sandeep]

It’s great that it will achieve such a high level of indigenisation level. But if those foreign imported items are not that important then why can’t the other 10% of parts be made in India? We can’t achieve 100% because we are using a foreign engine but we can come close to it.

Also the article has put the wrong date as we will be lucky if we even manufacture the AMCA MK1 by 2028. I hope we do as it’s urgently needed.

 

[Swetank Bharti]

Ejection seat is made in tie up with Martin Baker, there is nothing indigenous.

Yes it will not be called complete indigenous but still we willl have the technology shared by them to make it and can be used in future for indigenous ejection seat.

 

[Arin Kumar]

I am sure readers in this website will not get overly thrilled by the 90% number.
Our main danger is having an aircraft design BUT NOT having an engine for that aircraft.
USA will be a highly unpredictable supplier of GE F414 and GE F404 engines. They might arbitrarily raise the price - anytime - citing cost overruns. They may stop the supply of engines anytime citing - it killed a human being who they think as innocent.

Basically we want the Indian Indigenous Fighter Aircraft program to be stopped and dead. THey want us to purchase F-35 with NO transfer of Technology - which will bankrupt us (it will cost $1 billion per F-35). Incidentally China also wants this.

So, people, wat India needs urgently is a fully indegenously developed Fighter Jet engine. Otherwise all these Astra missile, Uttam Radar, Sudarshan Airlaunched bombs will be MEANINGLESS.

Hope our defence reseach people and Indian Army realize this and are acting on this.

 

[Arin Kumar]

What about MK1, haven’t started MK1 yet, already dreaming about MK2.

All these MK1, M2, AMCA makes NO sense - because these planes have no engines. USA will be a completely inconsistent undependable supplier.

 

[beencensured]

No GE F414 is still not indigenous, they are supposed to learn from making this engine and apply that to Kaveri to make it better.

Do not talk foolish as HAL has made so many engines, and they have learnt nothing by doing License production. They must make effort to design and make or hire people that can.

 

[Bhupesh Desai]

1st thing 1st lets get AMCA MK I ready than talk about MKII. There is no point dreaming what needs to be done 1st get things one in a timely manner like MK I AMCA by 2027-2028 in production.