28-05-2025
Indias AMCA: Can Private Players Deliver A True Swadeshi 5th-Gen Stealth Fighter? Time For India To Take Kaveri Challenge
India's AMCA Project: India, one of the world's largest arms importers, has been a target of defence firms from across the world, be it the United States, France and Russia. While the US wants to sell its F-35 jet to India, Russia wants it to be Su-57. India has already inked deals with France for the Rafale fighter jets. As China has expedited the supply of 5th-generation jets to Pakistan at discounted prices, India has decided to walk the path it left in the lurch years ago.
In a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, India approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model, its bid to develop fifth-generation fighter jets indigenously. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is set to execute the programme through Industry partnership.
"The Execution Model approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently or as a joint venture or as consortia. The entity/bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country," said the Defence Ministry.
Why Indigenous Stealth?
The indigenous quest is also important because some recent reports claimed that French firm Rafale is not willing to share critical tech information - Source Code - with India necessary for the integration of the air defence systems and other weapons with the Rafale aircraft. This will pose a significant challenge for the Indian Armed Forces in times of conflict. Thus, a fully homegrown aircraft will eliminate this significant challenge.
Notably, India's Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1A program has faced significant challenges due to a delay in delivery of the F404-IN20 engines by General Electric (GE) Aerospace, an American firm. The delay in supply of the engine led to delayed delivery of the 83 LCA-Mk1A jets to the Indian Air Force. While the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) makes the Tejas, it's dependent on the GE for the engine, as India doesn't make one.
With neighbouring China already flying its J-20 and working on the next-gen J-31, and Pakistan exploring FC-31 acquisition, India needs AMCA sooner rather than later. Any significant delay could leave a capability gap in the 2030s when older aircraft like Mirage-2000, MiG-29, and Jaguars retire.
The Engine Challenge: Achilles' Heel
India does not yet have a proven indigenous engine powerful enough for fifth-gen fighter jets. Developing a reliable, high-thrust turbofan engine comparable with global standards like the F119 in the F-22 or AL-41F1 in the Su-57 involves cutting-edge materials, thermal management, and precision manufacturing. India may need to partner with foreign engine makers like Safran (France) or Rolls-Royce (UK), which could compromise full self-reliance initially to get the job done in India.
India's Kaveri Quest
A campaign has been gaining momentum on social media over the past 48 hours regarding the Kaveri engine. The question is—why has this campaign become necessary? The Kaveri engine has the potential to make India self-reliant in the field of defense aviation. The Kaveri project was launched in 1982 with the goal of developing an indigenous fighter jet engine for India. The project was a collaboration between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE). However, due to a lack of advanced technology and international sanctions that restricted the supply of essential components, the project has yet to be completed.
Many believe that if the Kaveri engine project receives renewed funding and support, it could still succeed. Developing a homegrown jet engine would not only accelerate the upgrade of aircraft like the Tejas but also pave the way for India to independently design and produce fifth-generation fighter jets. In essence, a successful Kaveri engine would eliminate India's dependence on countries like the United States, Russia, or France for combat aircraft engines.
#DNAWithRahulSinha | 'कावेरी इंजन' क्या, देश के लिए जरूरी क्यों? वो इंजन जो भारत को सुपरपावर बना देगा..#DNA #KaveriEngine | @RahulSinhaTV — Zee News (@ZeeNews) May 28, 2025
India's Bid For Elite Club Entry
Still, optimism is airborne. With the ADA at the helm and a reinvigorated private sector ready to engage, the AMCA programme could very well mark India's breakout moment. If successful, the fighter will not only bolster the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities but also place India in an elite club of nations capable of building fifth-generation stealth jets—no small feat for a country where red tape has often proved more durable than titanium.
