Latest news with #AdvancedMediumCombatAircraft
The Print
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Print
Defence Secy bats for competitive bidding, says Centre cut red tape to save up to 69 weeks
He revealed that the 'government has already cut timelines across multiple stages of the procurement process, potentially saving up to 69 weeks'. Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit held here Thursday and Friday, Singh emphasised the defence ministry's ongoing efforts to reduce procurement delays and implement structural reforms aimed at boosting private sector participation in the defence economy. New Delhi: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has stressed the need to move away from the traditional nomination-based, cost-plus procurement model—historically dominated by public sector undertakings (PSUs)—and adopt competitive bidding to create a level playing field for both public and private defence manufacturers. He added that the ministry is currently revising the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 to better align with operational realities and expedite decision-making. Implementations of these reforms are underway in key programmes such as shipbuilding and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. As ThePrint reported in March, the ministry had then approved a proposal to nearly halve procurement timelines—an initiative expected to feature in the updated DAP, anticipated later this year. Among changes under consideration are introduction of deemed licensing beyond a defined time frame to ensure accountability, removal of outdated practices such as product reservation for defence PSUs and streamlining of procedural bottlenecks that have historically slowed defence acquisitions. Defence Secretary Singh's comments come at a time when delays in defence production and delivery remain a pressing concern. Earlier at the same event, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh also alluded to these challenges, citing constant delays in defence projects and failure to stick to delivery schedules, especially of fighter jets. 'While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up, but we just sign the contract. Uske baad dekhenge kya karna hai (we'll see what to do about it later). Of course the process gets vitiated,' he said. This was a direct reference to the contract for the 83 Tejas Mk-1A contract signed in 2021, delivery of which is yet to begin. ThePrint had in 2021 reported that while the IAF signed the contract with state-owned HAL, the fear was that the delivery would not begin on time. The first aircraft was to be handed over to the IAF in February last year. While assuring the private sector of improved ease of doing business and a level playing field, the defence secretary further stressed the importance of long-term investments in research and development, saying that the future of India's defence sector will rest on the depth of its innovation capacity. He underlined that companies without adequate engineering manpower, capital equipment or willingness to invest in R&D would have limited relevance in the country's strategic ecosystem. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr Samir V. Kamat, who also spoke before him at the summit, echoed these views, stating that both the government and private sector must increase their R&D outlays. 'Today, we spend 5 percent of our defence budget on R&D. The Raksha Mantri has promised that in the next five years, this will be scaled up to 10 percent,' he said. He further stressed that the private sector must also match this commitment by dedicating a similar proportion of their budgets to research. Further, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, during his remarks urged the industry to voluntarily commit a tenth of their budgets to innovation. Drawing a parallel with the Sikh practice of 'dasvandh', the tradition of donating one-tenth of one's earnings for collective welfare, he said such a step was necessary to build credible self-reliance in defence. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: India used this battlefield hack to keep Soviet-era missile systems firing against Pakistan in Op Sindoor
India Today
18 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
AMCA Explained: How India Plans to Build Its Own Stealth Fighter
India's next-gen stealth fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), just got a massive push from the government with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh clearing an execution model for the jet's design and development. On this episode of In Our Defence, veteran defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan breaks down what this means for the future of Indian airpower, how private players like Tata and L&T could shape the aircraft production ecosystem, and what role the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is likely to play. Sandeep also decodes the different generations of fighter aircraft, detailing what makes a fifth-generation jet stand out from the current crop of Indian Air Force jets such as the Rafales, Tejas, Sukhois and Mirages, among others. The episode also features a discussion on India's attempts to develop its own fighter jet engine and how that quest -- unsuccessful so far -- becomes all the more important for the AMCA. Produced by Prateek Lidhoo Sound mix by Rohan Bharti
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
LCA fighter planes production will be increased for timely deliveries to IAF: HAL CMD Sunil
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman and Managing Director D. K. Sunil said that the production of the indigenous fighter aircraft Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A will be increased to ensure timely deliveries to the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the establishment of a fourth production line here in Hyderabad. The production line has been established by its industry partner — VEM Technologies — who had also handed over its first Central Fuselage (CF) Assembly for the LCA Mk1A to him in the presence of Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, LCA-Tejas General Manager Abdul Salam and others at a special ceremony here on Friday. Mr. Sunil said the first CF handover marks a significant milestone as it will be in addition to the two existing lines in HAL-Bengaluru and another one in HAL-Nashik. HAL has a clear road map on how to go about ramping up production for LCA and also in developing Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), helicopters, and other wide range of products in association with its industry partners. The future is very bright as the emphasis is on developing indigenous technologies as was exemplified during the recent operations, said the CMD. VEM Technologies chairman and managing director V. Venkat Raju said the firm will be ready to deliver one CF Assembly for the LCA Mk1A every month by the end of the year to help HAL increase production post-integration of other parts. Apart from a dedicated hangar with two assembly setups, a third one with a robotic machinery will help speed up the manufacture of 478 kilo CF, which is made of 1,595 composite metal components, a majority manufactured in house. Mr. Raju said the firm is also working on fuel drop tank and pylon assemblies for LCA Tejas and will soon be ready for the fighter aircraft with Infra Red Search and Track System (IRST) as well as a range of generators, post successful qualification. A 5 lakh Integrated Defence Systems (IDS) facility is also being built, he said and sought more projects from HAL, including major assemblies for helicopters and other programmes. Defence production is growing at a 10% rate and partnership with the industry — private and public — is vital for indigenisation of systems, said Mr. Sanjeev Kumar. 'Security and sovereignty are important and cannot be achieved without indigenous manufacturing and supply of spare parts that meet the requirements of the armed forces. It also linked to the R&D efforts,' he said and hailed the partnership between HAL and VEM Tech in accelerating the production of LCA Mk1A. Quality Control DG Sanjay Chawla, Chairman and Managing Director of BDL Commodore A Madhav Rao (Retd) and Director of Aerospace and Defence P.A. Praveen were also present.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
India explores partners beyond US to build fighter jet engines: report
India is actively engaging with defence manufacturers from the United Kingdom, France, and Japan to co-develop fighter jet engines, aiming to bolster its defence capabilities amid escalating regional tensions, Bloomberg reported. This move, seeking to diversify partnerships beyond the United States and address critical capability gaps, comes weeks after Pakistan shot down at least five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets in an aerial combat that involved more than 100 aircraft from both sides and lasted for hours. The incident has prompted global militaries to study the confrontation, highlighting the evolving nature of aerial combat in the region. India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will evaluate proposals from these countries, with an emphasis on technology transfer and intellectual property sharing, Bloomberg reported, quoting sources. Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC has offered joint production and technology transfer during a recent visit by Indian defence officials to the UK. Similarly, France's Safran SA has shown a willingness to transfer technology and share intellectual property rights. Japan has also extended a comparable offer, following a bilateral meeting between India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart in New Delhi earlier this month, focusing on potential collaborations in tank and aero engine development. India's pursuit of indigenous defence capabilities has also led to the approval of a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet program. The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, spearheaded by the state-run Aeronautical Development Agency, aims to modernise the Indian Air Force's fleet, which currently operates below its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. The AMCA is envisioned as a twin-engine stealth fighter, with plans to involve both private companies and public sector undertakings in its development. In parallel, India has been in discussions with General Electric (GE) since 2023 to jointly produce GE F414 engines. However, the talks have faced delays, and India imposed penalties on GE last year for severe delays in the delivery of engines that power the country's locally-made single-jet fighters. Earlier in February this year, India's state fighter jet maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) said it would start rolling them out once General Electric supplied engines for them. The recent focus on diversifying partnerships and enhancing domestic defence production capabilities underscores India's commitment to self-reliance in defence technology.
India Today
a day ago
- Business
- India Today
Amid US delays, India eyes partnership with France for Tejas Mark 2 fighter jets
With the United States delaying engine deliveries for India's advanced fighter aircraft programmes, New Delhi is actively exploring an alternative partnership with French aerospace company Safran. The move is aimed at powering the next-generation Tejas Mark 2 and the upcoming fifth-generation stealth fighter, AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), with more powerful and locally developed familiar with the development have confirmed that Safran has submitted formal proposals to India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to collaborate on developing advanced jet engines for both fighter the Tejas Mark 2 programme is tied to the American GE F414 engine, which offers 98 kN of thrust. GE and HAL have signed a technology transfer agreement under which 80% of the engine will be manufactured in India. However, delays in supply and rising costs have slowed progress, prompting India to consider alternatives. Safran has now emerged as a strong contender, offering a 110 kN thrust engine for the Tejas Mk-2. This engine is expected to enhance the aircraft's speed, payload capacity and Tejas Mk-2, being jointly developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL, is designed to replace the Indian Air Force's ageing Jaguar, Mirage-2000, and MiG-29 fleets. The aircraft will come equipped with modern radar, an infrared tracking system, and Indian-origin weapons such as the Astra missile and addition to the Mk-2 engine, Safran has also proposed a 120 kN high-thrust engine for the twin-engine configuration of the AMCA. This engine will be critical for the stealth fighter's performance and advanced capabilities. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Thursday that India is targeting the development of five AMCA prototypes by already collaborates with HAL on helicopter engine projects. If the new proposals move forward, the partnership could play a pivotal role not just in the Tejas Mk-2 and AMCA programs, but also in shaping the future of indigenous jet engine manufacturing in India. The collaboration may also come with Transfer of Technology (ToT) provisions, which would further boost India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
