India has announced its intent to stop purchasing fighter jets from other nations, with the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approving an in-house plan for designing and building fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) to meet future Air Force needs. Reports state that this swing-role AMCA could cruise at speeds faster than sound. At first, costing approximately Rs 15,000 crore, this project represents India’s next big defense manufacturing endeavor after Light Combat Aircraft Tejas production, providing another boost for Make in India defense industry initiatives!
India Plans to Develop Fighter Aircraft
The Indian government hasn’t created its own Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft yet and relies heavily on France and Russia for security. There are 36 Rafale planes currently residing in India, with plans to buy 26 more from France. With its fleet consisting of over 1,700 aircraft, most from other nations, the IAF manages an extensive variety of fleets under its control.
The Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Project
The LCA Tejas trainer aircraft is an all-weather multipurpose plane that is compact, all-season capable, and easily portable. Specifically tailored for air combat and offensive air support tasks, its main tasks of reconnaissance and ship combating are its main priorities. At this point, India has successfully designed, constructed, and tested its first twin-seat fighter aircraft since independence. In 2016, 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron of the Indian Air Force began using LCA Tejas fighter aircraft that were fully active. HAL has received an order for 83 LCA Mk 1A planes worth Rs 36,468 crore from HAL, with delivery starting in March this year. HAL can currently produce eight planes each year, but this will increase to 16 planes annually by 2025 and 24 planes by the time these orders come through in 2026.
Project for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
India created the LCA Tejas aircraft and has been working on its successor project, the AMCA jet. Indian companies are making a medium-weight deep penetration fighter jet equipped with advanced stealth features to improve India’s Air Force strength; currently, only Russia, China, and the US possess fifth-generation stealth attack jets. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), along with private firms, will work collaboratively on creating five prototypes of AMCA as part of this endeavor.
Other Projects In Development
CCS also gave the Indian Army and Coast Guard “in principle” approval to purchase 34 Dhruv advanced light helicopters. The Indian Air Force, on the other hand, is purchasing 114 multirole fighter aircraft (MRFAs). Their total cost will amount to approximately $18 billion.
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