Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft: News & Discussion - 30 August 2019

[Cain Marko]

Isn't it a bad idea, none of the indian fighters have side-stick.
At least the pilots from Tejas family could interchangeably operate the aircrafts, if all Tejas fighters had center-stick.

Though side-stick has its own advantages especially high-G flight regimes and contributes to better ergonomics, South Korea still opted for Center Stick (similar to F/A-18/ F-15 lineage) by prioritizing pilot familiarity for KF-21 Boramae.

side stick or centre stick.. a couple of ex fighter pilots discuss Su 57 centre stick with F22 side stick @0500.

Fighter Pilots React to SU-57 Felon Engines and Cockpit

Real fighter pilots react to SU-57 Felon Engines and cockpit.

These guys are so full of it, makes me laugh. With all the side stick and clutterless hitech layout. They got there ass handed to them by the mki in almost every instance they met up.

The pakfa platform, like the flanker, is ahead of their f35 in almost every regard, and possibly the f22as well . If they think that a test article engine is going to have full stealth skin, I don't know what to say, but they're being disengenuous. Moreover, the Russians seems to have figured that it's no point in going all out on stealth because in real world situations, with long range head to head face offs, front sector is more important. The rear or sides are going to be seen by today's high powered radar in all likelihood, so they prefer to have a mech 2 bird that most missiles will have a hard time catching up with in an ever receding chase mode.

Chutiya mat banao.

There are many ways to skin a cat and the Russians have been doing it quite well. When India gets this platform and mkizes it, the iaf will have it's own way.

As far as m concerned, the pakfa with izd30 and mkizayion will be an absolute beast. Probably the best piece of kit in the sky.

[uddu]

Indian Engineering Firms Missing AMCA Prime Contract Can Still Secure Tier-II and Tier-III Roles, Confirms MoD
https://defence.in/threads/indian-engin ... mod.16873/
12 Feb 2026

The primary goal of the current selection process is to identify a Tier-I development and production partner to act as the lead systems integrator. However, the architecture of the programme explicitly preserves substantial roles for other capable firms at the Tier-II and Tier-III levels. This layered approach is necessitated by the extreme technical complexity of fifth-generation fighter engineering, which is not a linear manufacturing task but a distributed enterprise. The AMCA requires expertise spanning advanced stealth composites, avionics fusion, mission computing, and precision airframe fabrication. No single company is expected to possess in-house capabilities for every domain.

Consequently, the programme anticipates a collaborative supply chain where specialized firms deliver critical subsystems and high-precision assemblies. By formally encouraging Tier-II and Tier-III participation, defence planners are seeding a long-term industrial pipeline capable of supporting an expanding aerospace portfolio. Companies that do not secure the lead integrator role will not be sidelined; instead, their capital investments and technical expertise will be absorbed into the wider production chain to ensure redundancy and surge capacity.

[Rakesh]

AMCA: Why L1 Approaches Can Fail Combat Aircraft Development
https://radmsudhirpillai.substack.com/p ... ail-combat
08 Feb 2026

[uddu]

https://x.com/alpha_defense/status/2023981151975583845
@alpha_defense
GCAP Excalibur Testbed Breaks Cover with New Fighter-Style Nose.

Picture 2 : Proposed AMCA test bed.

[pravula]

That’s a big bird. Hopefully opex is not going to be a problem

[Rakesh]

India Moves Faster Toward Sixth-Generation Air Power

Defence minister Rajnath Singh has called for accelerated completion of the AMCA programme and long-pending aero-engine development, warning that fragile supply chains and shifting geopolitics demand technological self-reliance. He advocated targeted collaboration with partners such as France and the UK to compress development timelines while pushing research into sixth-generation technologies including advanced propulsion, AI, manned-unmanned teaming, and directed energy. India is pursuing a hybrid strategy—leading indigenous design while securing focused partnerships for engines and sensors—to balance speed, autonomy, and capability.

[Rakesh]

Exclusive: Tata, two consortia led by L&T, Bharat Forge shortlisted for making fighter jets
https://indianexpress.com/article/busin ... -10535728/
18 Feb 2026

The AMCA project is aimed at developing India’s homegrown fifth-generation stealth fighter, a single-seat twin-engine jet with advanced stealth coatings and internal weapons bays.

[uddu]

India Plans Expanded AMCA Mk1 Orders to Maintain Industrial Momentum While Awaiting Indigenous 120kN Engine to Mature
https://defence.in/threads/india-plans- ... ure.17004/
27-2-2026

To avoid a "production lull," the Air Force is evaluating an increase in Mk1 orders from the original 40 aircraft to potentially 60 or 80 units. These initial stealth fighters will be powered by the proven General Electric F414 engine.

[uddu]

AMCA Mk2 to Feature AI-Driven Electronic "Co-Pilot" to Slash Human Pilot Workload in High-Stress Combat Environment
https://defence.in/threads/amca-mk2-to- ... ent.17015/
28-2-2026

The E-Pilot is not a simple automation tool; it is being engineered as a virtual second crew member.

In the single-seat stealth fighter, this system will effectively perform the duties of a co-pilot or a weapons systems officer.

Automated Flight Phases: Handling take-off and landing procedures independently.
Workload Management: Monitoring the flight envelope and aircraft health to free the pilot for tactical decisions.
Combat Support: Assisting with sensor fusion, identifying targets, and prioritising threats during high-intensity engagements.

A primary focus is the integration with the Ghatak, India’s upcoming stealth Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV).

[uddu]

The FCAS collaboration is said to be on technology including materials etc. So that those new sixth gen technologies goes into the French fighters and also into our AMCA MKII.
indian Defence Updates : AMCA 6th Gen Lite,Indonesia Orders Brahmos,Sheshnag Test,12 New Submarines

[uddu]

How Potential FCAS Partnership Could Bridge India’s AMCA to 6th-Gen Capability
https://defence.in/threads/how-potentia ... ity.17125/
10-3-2026
Transitioning to 6th-Generation Capabilities​
The collaboration aims to push the AMCA Mk2 toward what is often termed "sixth-generation-lite."

This involves moving beyond standard stealth to incorporate:
Smart Skins: Aircraft surfaces embedded with distributed sensors to provide 360-degree situational awareness.
Advanced Stealth: New radar-absorbent materials (RAM) that further minimize the aircraft’s signature against modern tracking systems.
Optionally Manned Flight: The capability for the aircraft to perform high-risk missions, such as the suppression of enemy air defences, without a pilot onboard.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/The_Guy_Space/status/2034 ... 13115?s=20 ---> AMCA

[Manish_Sharma]

https://x.com/daeroplate_v2/status/2046 ... 59069?s=20

AMCA if it ever materialises will be in same soup as JSF, unable to fit the ever larger powered SOWs needed now. JSF is unable to internally carry JASSM so neither will AMCA manage Storm Shadow. Tempest seems to be big & sized for it. we need to scrap it or relegate it to an A2A only and start work in parallel on a 1.5x - 2x bird with a much deeper & longer internal bay, bigger wet wings. Else the cope will start to import the B21 or Tempest.

[Prem Kumar]

My biggest fear is AMCA suffer from the same drawback as LCA, in terms of the "smallness" of the airframe

Tejas: beyond bragging rights & some RCS reduction, there isn't much advantage in building the smallest/lightest aircraft. It makes the design complex, adds unnecessary miniaturization requirements & most importantly, the airframe doesnt give room to grow (fit new armaments, larger radar, more compute etc). It constraints how "future-proof" you can make the aircraft

Fast forward to AMCA: in typical muddle-headed IAF thinking, "light" must be followed with "medium", because God-forbid we aim high and shoot for a "heavy" fighter. So, whatever extra space we got for the larger AMCA airframe has been cancelled out by requirements of "internal bay" for stealth. So, we are back to the same situation as Tejas

There was no need for us to have aimed low with AMCA. We should have gone for a heavy, F-22 class fighter (or a F-35 class fighter/bomber)

[Manish_Sharma]

https://x.com/TheMilObserverr/status/20 ... 83099?s=20

Only 5 countries in the world have a stealth fighter jet.

India is trying to become the 6th. And the hardest part just started

The AMCA has entered a 24 month phase that will decide everything.

Here is the problem engineers are solving right now

• 15 km of wiring needs to fit inside a frame that cannot reflect radar
• One badly placed wire can expose the jet to enemy sensors
• Weapons sit inside the body, not under wings, to stay invisible
• The engine intakes are curved so radar cannot see the blades
• Every part must survive high speed, high heat and still be repairable

No other Indian jet has demanded this level of precision before.

To avoid costly mistakes, ADA is building a complete digital copy of the aircraft first.

Every wire. Every bracket. Every fuel line. Tested virtually before metal is touched.

Metal cutting starts 2027. First flight 2028. Induction 2034.

15 years of work. Hundreds of engineers. One goal.

An Indian stealth fighter that nobody gave us.

[ritesh]

https://x.com/TheMilObserverr/status/20 ... 83099?s=20

Only 5 countries in the world have a stealth fighter jet.

India is trying to become the 6th. And the hardest part just started

The AMCA has entered a 24 month phase that will decide everything.

Here is the problem engineers are solving right now

• 15 km of wiring needs to fit inside a frame that cannot reflect radar
• One badly placed wire can expose the jet to enemy sensors
• Weapons sit inside the body, not under wings, to stay invisible
• The engine intakes are curved so radar cannot see the blades
• Every part must survive high speed, high heat and still be repairable

No other Indian jet has demanded this level of precision before.

To avoid costly mistakes, ADA is building a complete digital copy of the aircraft first.

Every wire. Every bracket. Every fuel line. Tested virtually before metal is touched.

Metal cutting starts 2027. First flight 2028. Induction 2034.

15 years of work. Hundreds of engineers. One goal.

An Indian stealth fighter that nobody gave us.

Has parallel development started for indigenous UCAV? Or we will be late to the party again?

[Manish_Sharma]

Has parallel development started for indigenous UCAV? Or we will be late to the party again?

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has given its approval, but full CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) clearance is still pending.

Current Status Breakdown:DAC Approval (Done): On or around March 27, 2026, the DAC (chaired by the Defence Minister) cleared the procurement of ~60–67 Ghatak stealth UCAVs (often referred to as Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft or RPSA in official terms). This is for an initial buy of roughly four squadrons at an estimated program cost of around ₹39,000 crore.

en.wikipedia.org

CCS Approval (Pending): This is the final high-level government nod (involving the Prime Minister and key ministers) needed for full-scale development, major funding release, and progression to detailed prototyping/production. Multiple recent reports and DRDO statements (including from DRDO Chief Dr. Samir V. Kamat) confirm the project is awaiting CCS clearance. Once granted, it will accelerate prototyping, engine integration (Dry Kaveri), and the Development-cum-Production Partner model (with L&T involved).

idrw.org

What This Means PracticallyPre-CCS work is ongoing: Scaled ground test vehicles, aerodynamic/stealth validation, and related tech development continue.
Timeline expectations: Dry Kaveri certification targeted for 2026; first prototype rollout around 2029–2030; operational induction in 7–8 years from full approval.
No major contradictions in reporting — sources like idrw.org, Livefist, Wikipedia updates, and recent X posts align on this.

Bottom line: DAC has greenlit the requirement and procurement framework, but the project hasn't received the top-tier CCS go-ahead yet for full momentum. This is fairly standard for big indigenous Indian defence programs. Things could move quickly once the Kaveri milestones are hit.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/sneheshphilip/status/2059 ... 71777?s=20 ---> Ambitious and strict timeline. AMCA tender issued, HAL sits out as private sector takes centre stage. First flight to be in 30 months from the date of signing the contract.

https://x.com/sneheshphilip/status/2059 ... 11106?s=20 ---> The RFP mandates that the first flight must take place within 30 months from the date of contract signing. All together 1,800 sorties are planned for AMCA which have to be carried out within 84 months from the date of contract signing. The RFP clearly states that the 84-month (7-year) timeline is mandatory. It is only after this that series production will begin.

AMCA tender issued, HAL sits out as private sector takes centre stage
https://theprint.in/defence/5th-gen-fig ... e/2943139/
27 May 2026

Going by current timeline, five prototypes of India’s own 5th-gen fighter are set to be rolled out by 2031. The 1st prototype is expected to be rolled out by 2029 using GE F414 engine.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/prasannavishy/status/2059 ... 28180?s=20 ---> Good report in @businessline on AMCA program. MoD issues a Request for Proposal to three shortlisted bidders ( Tata Advanced Systems, an L&T-BEL-Dynamic Technologies consortium, and a Bharat Forge-BEML-Data Patterns consortium) to manufacture five prototypes of the AMCA, India's first indigenous 5th-generation stealth fighter. The production partner will also host core integration and flight testing at a dedicated 650-acre facility in Puttaparthi, Andhra, with induction targeted from 2035 after DRDO completes the development cycle by 2034. The AMCA will initially fly on GE-414 engines, with HAL and GE in advanced negotiations for licensed production in India. Most other components including frames, avionics and payloads are already indigenous. The engine is the one critical gap. If India's indigenous engine program succeeds, later AMCA batches to be retrofitted with homegrown power plants.

[Rakesh]

Stealth, skies and sovereignty: India's fighter jet plan takes off
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ne ... 354395.cms
27 May 2026

[Rakesh]

From Monopoly to Competition: India re-imagines Defence Manufacturing With AMCA
https://www.orfonline.org/research/from ... -with-amca
28 May 2026

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/osintspectator/status/206 ... 39023?s=20 ---> India's fifth-generation fighter jet AMCA engineering model spotted at DRDO’s RCS Measurement Facility in Dundigal, Hyderabad.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/OsiOsint1/status/2064633848986796522?s=20 ---> Full HD image of AMCA.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/osintspectator/status/206 ... 39023?s=20 ---> India's fifth-generation fighter jet AMCA engineering model spotted at DRDO’s RCS Measurement Facility in Dundigal, Hyderabad.

https://x.com/defencealerts/status/2064 ... 26854?s=20 --->

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/SandeepUnnithan/status/20 ... 77316?s=20 ---> Without the @IAF_MCC in the driver’s seat, we won’t get the Fifth-generation #AMCA fighter in realistic timelines. Just as we wouldn’t have got the Arihant, Arighat, Aridaman and Arisudan if @indiannavy didn’t drive the ATV project over 4 decades. I write for @IndiaToday on the AMCA’s empty cockpit.

The AMCA's empty cockpit
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/a ... 2026-06-12
12 June 2026

India begins an ambitious programme to build a fifth generation fighter jet, but risks repeating past mistakes.

[Rakesh]

India’s flight to 5th-Gen fighter jets
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/in-de ... hter-jets/
14 June 2026

India has a much larger fleet of 4th and 4.5-generation fighters like the Rafale and Sukhoi 30MKI, but, for now, it lags behind Pakistan in the acquisition of stealth planes like China’s Shenyang J-35.

[Rakesh]

India's AMCA, jet engine and next-generation submarines need their own ATV

Snehesh Alex Philip, Editor–Defence and Diplomacy at ThePrint, talks about his fortnightly subscribers only newsletter, which this time focuses on the need for an ATV-like structure for India’s AMCA, jet engine and next generation submarine plans.

[williams]

Rakesh Ji, the problem I am seeing is that every indigenous effort worth its salt requires their own ATV program or the duress of technology denial regimes/sanctions. From large items to even small arms this phenomenon has become universal. That is to say that if your indigenous program need to succeed then do the following: Keep the program under extreme level of secrecy, have one focused program management team with fast tracked money distribution mechanizm and keep it under the direct monitoring of the PMO.

That seems highly impractical and it is a serious national security crises. Hence a serious intelligence operation/investigation needs to be carried out to identify and weed out the saboteurs from the top to the bottom.

Think about this:

If the teams who are creating impractical GSQR is the problem then that can be fixed through adding some agility and iterative development practices.
If tendering, budgeting and money distribution is the problem we can fix that too.
If program management is a problem we can infuse top level MBAs there and solve the issue.
If capacity and manufacturing is the issue we can infuse modern manufacturing techniques and import the necessary machines (we did that for our semi-conductor mission).
If R&D and retaining/acquiring top level talent is the problem we can infuse more money, training and go for world wide recruitment of talent.
If public sector, unions are a problem we can privatize defense manufacturing.

But you cannot wake up a very determined conglomeration that goes into extraordinary type of "acting" to be asleep. Hope the sincere people in the helm of affairs take some action on this national emergency. The phenomenon of "acting to be asleep" is quite glaring and obvious nowadays. Instead of fighting 2.5 front, we are actually fighting 3.5 front here and something needs to be done about it soon.

[Anoop]

https://youtu.be/Xq4Cx5M3SIc?is=3Vfkz6bnZh3cdxSL

RR's proposal for AMCA engines: 2030 core co-developed in India, 2032 ground test, 2034 first flight.

Also talks about ongoing work with GTRE. Also talks about engines for Arjun Mk1 tanks (MB 838) and marine engines.

[bala]

RR's proposal for AMCA engines

who in the Indian defence authority chain can read all the tea leaves and make a decision. RR is strong in engines no doubt. This offer from RR is a strategic move to use resources in India and make it a key leg of their operations world wide. Nothing wrong per se.

But the Q is whether AMCA has whole hearted support, do key things like engines register with anyone. So many things up in the air. Our defence mantriji and IAS babus are not equipped to make decisions like the above.