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The Wire
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Wire
India's Fighter Jet Ambitions: From Russian Roulette to Indigenous Dreams
For the best experience, open on your mobile browser or Download our App. Next Support independent journalism. Donate Now Security Rahul Bedi 5 minutes ago After abandoning a $295 million joint project with Russia, India fast-tracks its indigenous fifth-generation fighter programme—but faces familiar challenges that have plagued its defence manufacturing for decades. In this image released by @SpokespersonMoD via X on May 27, 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the Execution Model for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will lead the project in partnership with Indian industry. (@SpokespersonMoD via PTI Photo) Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute Now Chandigarh: The Ministry of Defence's intent, announced earlier this week, to fast-track development of its indigenous fifth-generation fighter via the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, is not its first brush with such lofty ambitions. For 11 years, until 2018, the MoD and the Indian Air Force (IAF) were in advanced negotiations with Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau to co-develop a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) under a 2007 agreement, aimed at delivering a near-bespoke advanced stealth platform tailored largely to Indian requirements. Designated the Perspective Multi-Role Fighter by the MoD, the FGFA was based on the Sukhoi T-50—then known as PAK-FA (Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks-Frontovoi Aviatsii)—which later morphed into the Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter. This putative 30-tonne, twin-engine platform promised super-cruise capabilities, advanced stealth, internal weapon bays and next-generation avionics. Consequently, in 2010-11 India paid $295 million towards the FGFA's preliminary design, as part of its equal financial but partial technical partnership. Thereafter, in 2013 Russia demanded an additional $5 billion as half its share to further progress the fighter's developmental costs, which it had pegged at around $10 billion. The MoD refused to pay but continued negotiating, and in 2016 reached a compromise under which it was agreed that each side would contribute $3.7 billion apiece—to be paid over six to seven years—towards the FGFA's further development, in addition to incorporating IAF-specific requirements on the platform. These comprised some 50-odd major and minor modifications, like replacing the fighter's NPO Saturn AL-41F1 engine with a more powerful power pack and improving its stealth features and weapons carriage system. The IAF also called for an advanced version of the fighter's nose-mounted Byelka electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, easier maintainability and assorted additional safety features. Industry sources said that at the time Sukhoi also agreed to share critical FGFA design information with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)—the platform's designated series manufacturing agency—which it had earlier withheld, and to try and restore its work share in the programme, which had been reduced by more than half to merely around 13%. This included providing tyres for the under-development fighter, basic navigation equipment, laser designation pods, heads-up displays and coolant for its radar, as there was little of major technological input that HAL or the IAF had to offer to the FGFA programme. Sukhoi also undertook, in principle, to deliver three single-seat FGFA prototypes by 2019-20 to the IAF for user trials, ahead of erecting a series production line for the fighters at HAL's facility in Nashik. Pulling the plug on Sukhoi Initially, the IAF had planned on procuring 200-250 single and twin-seat licence-built FGFAs, with deliveries scheduled to begin by 2017-18. This number was later reduced to 127 single-seat FGFAs, but soon after in April 2018, India opted to withdraw from the programme, forgoing all the money it had advanced to it. No accountability for any of the officials involved in the stillborn project was forthcoming. Many IAF veterans, however, were of the view that had India stayed the course with the FGFA project, by overcoming myriad shortcomings in its dealings with Russia, it would have been operating a fleet of Su-57-like fifth-generation fighters years earlier, like other advanced air forces, including China's. Besides, by staying the FGFA course, despite the hurdles, it could also have built up a firmer research and development base for future indigenous projects like the AMCA. Instead, it now faces a longer, costlier and technologically riskier path toward vindicating its fifth-generation combat aircraft goals. Industry sources, meanwhile, clarified that the decision to call off the FGFA was not taken lightly, as years of delays, cost escalation, performance shortfalls in the FGFA prototype and lack of transparency from the Russian side had steadily undermined Indian confidence. More critically, both the MoD and the IAF were dissatisfied with the level of technology transfer, the aircraft's underwhelming stealth profile and its engines, which did not meet the expected thrust-vectoring and super-cruise benchmarks. New attempt to fast-track 5th gen But the retreat from the FGFA programme did not signal a withdrawal from India's fifth-generation fighter ambitions, which sluggishly lumbered on until operational urgency thrust upon the IAF after Operation Sindoor prompted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to pre-approve and advance the AMCA project on May 27. Alongside, the prevailing decline in the IAF's fighter squadrons from a sanctioned strength of 42.5 to merely 30-odd squadrons presently had also triggered urgency in the AMCA project. Under it, the MoD has sanctioned the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL to develop a fifth-generation fighter from the ground up, by leapfrogging technological barriers using local resources, timelines and control. The ADA-HAL combine aims to involve a wide consortium of public sector and private vendors like Bharat Electronics, Larsen & Toubro and Godrej Aerospace under the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) policy, and from lessons drawn from past setbacks with the snail-paced Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) programme. Unlike the FGFA, the AMCA is being designed to meet specific Indian doctrinal needs from the outset. Conceived as a twin-engine, 25-tonne multi-role stealth fighter, the AMCA aims to integrate internal weapons bays, serpentine air intakes, radar-absorbent materials, AI-assisted mission systems and sensor fusion. It is also envisioned in two variants—a Mark 1 with an imported engine (possibly General Electric's GE F414 power pack) and a Mark II with an indigenous to-be-developed engine. Delivery of the first few prototypes is scheduled by 2035. Obstacles ahead Analysts, however, said the pathway to AMCA's development was riddled with multiple challenges. They maintained that though the FGFA was flawed, it did offer the IAF a relatively fast track to a stealth platform. Furthermore, by exiting the FGFA, India had ceded early stealth fighter experience that might have enriched its R&D ecosystem in the AMCA project. In contrast, the AMCA's development trajectory was wholly unproven. The technological risks—especially in stealth shaping, low-observable materials, propulsion and mission computers—were significant. The most pressing hurdle remained engine development, as India could still not produce a fifth-generation capable power pack, relying instead on US-origin General Electric GE F414 engines, whose full technology transfer under a 2023 agreement for HAL to make them locally remained riddled with uncertainties. GE has historically been cautious about sharing sensitive 'hot section' technologies with overseas customers, like those involving single-crystal turbine blades, thermal barrier coatings and cooling channels—core to engine durability and thrust-to-weight ratios. And while India seeks full transfer of manufacturing know-how for these components to reduce dependence on the US, Washington's export control laws under its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and internal GE risk assessments had reportedly limited its scope. Indian officials had also flagged ambiguity over intellectual property (IPR) ownership for technologies co-produced or indigenised with regard to the GE-414s. The fundamental concern, industry sources said, was over HAL or the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), or both, not being able to modify, even minutely, any indigenously built version of the F414 power pack without GE consent. This, in effect, would put paid to jugaad or innovation that had, over decades, served India's military industry admirably. Moreover, establishing a full-scale production line domestically for a 4.5/5-generation jet engine is a massive industrial effort, for which HAL is reportedly still amassing specialised tooling and a quality-controlled supply chain ecosystem to meet GE's strict quality audits and oversight. Unhelpful history India's failure in building a domestic modern fighter manufacturing network can be traced back to the unravelling of the 2007-08 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, which many senior IAF officers and veterans consider a 'turning point' in which a major opportunity was lost. The MMRCA project sought to procure 126 fighter jets, with a clear mandate that 108 would be built in India under transfer of technology (ToT) agreements. France's Rafale emerged as the winner in 2012 from amongst six competing rivals, but protracted negotiations over cost, technology transfer and liability clauses led to the collapse of the deal in 2015. Instead, India opted for a direct purchase of 36 Rafales in flyaway condition, further delaying the development of indigenous manufacturing capability. This missed opportunity meant India continued to depend heavily on foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for advanced combat aircraft, without acquiring the institutional knowledge and industrial base needed for independent production. Unlike China, which leveraged joint ventures and aggressive reverse-engineering to build a competent domestic fighter aircraft industry, India's public sector defence units like HAL remained underfunded and over-regulated. In the meantime, indigenous programmes like the Tejas LCA were beset by delays and capability gaps, and when its Mk1 variant eventually entered limited service, its combat potential was initially constrained by issues related to engine performance, radar integration and weapons payload. Efforts to address these shortcomings through the Mk1A and Mk2 variants are presently underway, delayed by several years. In the interim, the FGFA was expected to usher India's entry into fifth-generation capabilities, but this too was called off, cumulatively delaying India's goal of building a robust domestic fighter manufacturing base. And though the AMCA project now seeks to course-correct—but without an established supply chain, proven stealth technology or a domestic jet engine—it faces an uphill battle. It proposes to feature a cleaner stealth profile fighter with internal weapon bays and fully indigenous avionics, including an AESA radar, AI-based sensor fusion and advanced electronic warfare systems. And unlike the FGFA, AMCA emphasises modularity, digital fly-by-wire systems and next-generation cockpit ergonomics, aiming for full design authority and autonomy in both development and future upgrades. That being said, India's ability to manufacture a fifth-generation fighter hinges not just on technology, but on policy coherence, private sector integration and decisive leadership—elements sorely missing in earlier decades. So unless these structural issues are swiftly and meaningfully addressed, India risks repeating its earlier FGFA missteps with the AMCA. World The French Are Anxious to Know the Fate of Rafales in Operation Sindoor Combat View More
Time of India
25-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Liberian cargo ship sinks: Kerala declares emergency as major oil spill feared — Top developments
Liberian cargo ship sinks: Kerala declares emergency as major oil spill feared (Picture credit: X/@SpokespersonMoD) NEW DELHI: The Kerala government on Sunday declared a statewide emergency after a Liberian container ship, MSC ELSA 3, carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo, capsized and sank off the state's coast, triggering fears of a major ecological disaster. Statewide alert issued Following a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary A Jayathilak, Kerala issued a statewide alert, warning coastal districts of potential environmental damage. Fishermen have been asked to stay ashore, and the public has been told not to touch or approach any drifting containers or oil slicks that may wash ashore. 'Maintain a minimum distance of 200 metres and inform the emergency number 112,' read the official note. Entire crew rescued All 24 crew members aboard were rescued, 21 by the Indian Coast Guard and 3 by Indian Navy's INS Sujata. According to Navy PRO Athul Pillai, the final three were rescued on Sunday morning after the vessel became too dangerous to remain aboard. 'If they stayed put more, it was a danger for them,' he said, adding the rescue was carried out amid high winds and floating debris. Oil spill threat As per PTI, the ship had 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil in its tanks. Some of this has already begun leaking into the sea. The fuel is drifting at around 3 km per hour, raising fears it may reach Kerala's sensitive coastline. The Indian Coast Guard confirmed a 'significant oil leak' and has deployed ICGS Saksham, Samarth, and a Dornier aircraft with oil dispersants to contain the spill. Hazardous cargo on board According to ANI, the vessel was carrying 12 containers of calcium carbide, a substance that reacts violently with seawater, producing highly flammable acetylene gas. This cargo poses a serious risk to marine life and coastal communities. Pollution response underway The Coast Guard, leading pollution response efforts, is operating under the National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan, directly overseen by its director general. Surveillance aircraft with advanced oil spill mapping technology are conducting assessments. 'We are fully geared to respond to the emerging scenario,' the ICG said. Public urged to stay vigilant The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) warned that oil films or debris may appear along coastal areas. 'There is a possibility that the containers and the oil can reach the state's coast,' said KSDMA member secretary Sekhar Kuriakose, as quoted by TOI. Locals have been urged to report any sightings to police. Salvage efforts being explored Before the ship sank, salvage operations were being planned, but the situation deteriorated rapidly. The vessel, which had departed Vizhinjam on May 23 and was en route to Kochi, began listing dangerously on May 24 afternoon. A Defence PRO confirmed some containers had already fallen into the sea by Saturday evening. Sensitive ecosystem at risk The Kerala coast is home to rich biodiversity and is a key tourist destination. Authorities are bracing for the worst-case scenario, especially for districts like Thrissur, Kochi, and Alappuzha, which could face the brunt of the pollution. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as containment operations intensify.
Economic Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Who is Colonel Sophia Qureshi, the decorated Army officer who briefed media on Operation Sindoor?
— SpokespersonMoD (@SpokespersonMoD) Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Two senior women officers of the Indian Armed Forces — Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sophia Qureshi — jointly briefed the media today on the recently conducted Operation Sindoor Colonel Sophia Qureshi, a decorated officer of the Indian Army's Corps of Signals , holds the distinction of being the first woman officer to command an Indian Army contingent in a multinational military exercise. In 2016, she led the Indian team at ' Exercise Force 18 ', which was India's largest-hosted foreign military drill. Remarkably, she was the only female commander among 18 participating Qureshi hails from Gujarat and holds a postgraduate degree in biochemistry. She comes from a military family — her grandfather served in the Indian Army — and she is married to an officer from the Mechanised has also served for six years with UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO), including a notable stint in the United Nations Mission in Congo (2006). She once described her peacekeeping duties as involving the monitoring of ceasefires and supporting humanitarian efforts in conflict zones. She called it a 'proud moment' and encouraged other women in the armed forces to 'work hard for the country and make everyone proud.'Speaking about her, then Army Commander of Southern Command, Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, once said that her selection was based on her capabilities and leadership qualities rather than her gender.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Colonel Sophia Qureshi, the decorated Army officer who briefed media on Operation Sindoor?
— SpokespersonMoD (@SpokespersonMoD) Live Events Two senior women officers of the Indian Armed Forces — Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sophia Qureshi — jointly briefed the media today on the recently conducted Operation Sindoor Colonel Sophia Qureshi, a decorated officer of the Indian Army's Corps of Signals , holds the distinction of being the first woman officer to command an Indian Army contingent in a multinational military exercise. In 2016, she led the Indian team at ' Exercise Force 18 ', which was India's largest-hosted foreign military drill. Remarkably, she was the only female commander among 18 participating Qureshi hails from Gujarat and holds a postgraduate degree in biochemistry. She comes from a military family — her grandfather served in the Indian Army — and she is married to an officer from the Mechanised has also served for six years with UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO), including a notable stint in the United Nations Mission in Congo (2006). She once described her peacekeeping duties as involving the monitoring of ceasefires and supporting humanitarian efforts in conflict zones. She called it a 'proud moment' and encouraged other women in the armed forces to 'work hard for the country and make everyone proud.'Speaking about her, then Army Commander of Southern Command, Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, once said that her selection was based on her capabilities and leadership qualities rather than her gender.
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First Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
What is VSHORADS that the Indian Army is acquiring amid Pahalgam tensions?
The Centre has proposed acquiring the Very Short Range Air Defence System or VSHORADS (NG) amid tensions with Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack. The Defence Ministry over the weekend issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for equipping the Indian Army with 48 launchers equipped with night vision sights, 85 missiles and one missile test station. But what do we know about this weapons system? read more The Defence Ministry over the weekend issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for equipping the Indian Army with 48 launchers equipped with night vision sights, 85 missiles and one missile test station. Image courtesy: @SpokespersonMoD via X India is moving to acquire the Very Short Range Air Defence System or VSHORADS (NG). The Centre has proposed acquiring this air defence system amid tensions with Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack. The Defence Ministry over the weekend issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for equipping the Indian Army with 48 launchers equipped with night vision sights, 85 missiles and one missile test station. But what are these VSHORADS, also commonly known as Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (Manpads)? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Let's take a closer look What do we know? The VSHORADS is a manned air defence system. It works on infra-red homing (IR) technology. It is an extremely effective fire-and-forget type of weapons system. As per The Week, the VSHORADS comprise three parts —the projectile, the launch tube and the grip and a battery unit. A lone soldier carries the launcher and two missiles on his back. Each missile measures around 1.85 metres. Their minimum range is around half a kilometre. As per Economic Times, it can hit enemy aircrafts, drones, fighter jets and helicopters up to six kilometers away. Experts say there is arguably no weapon system better suited for short range attacks. Two missiles fired at a time have a kill rate of at least 85 per cent against fighter aircrafts, as per The Week. As per the outlet, the Taliban used these systems to great effect against the US forces during the invasion of Afghanistan. The system can hit enemy aircrafts, drones, fighter jets and helicopters up to six kilometers away. PTI 'To be based on infra-red homing technology which allows them to track the heat signatures of aircraft engines, once fired, these single-shot missiles have a 95 per cent kill probability. Known not to fail, they are most effective against low-flying aircraft, including helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and UAVs,' a serving official told The Week. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Manpads also have the advantage of being extremely mobile as they can be fired from anywhere, be it from a hilltop, from vehicles, just about anywhere,' the official added. As per IDRW, these systems have also proved crucial against drones and helicopters in Ukraine. As per The Week, though 105 militaries across the world use this weapon, just a dozen countries including India manufacture it. The most famous such weapon systems are the US' 'Stinger' missile system and Russia's 9K32 Strela-2. China has also come up with its own 'FN-16.' As per IDRW, Russia has the IGLA-S, Sweden has the RBS70NG and France has the MBDA Mistral system. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also working on a VSHORADS. In February, the DRDO successfully conducted three successive flight-trials of a VSHORADS from Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. These tests were carried out against high-speed targets flying at a very low altitude, the defence ministry had then said in a statement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, as per The Times of India, the system is still in the process of development. India previously ordered the IGLA-S system from Russia, which is assembled here by Adani Defence. Defence sources have said that the new supplies of the IGLA-S air defence missiles have been received by the Indian Army a couple of weeks ago and are being provided to the forward formations for taking care of the threat from enemy fighter aircraft, choppers and drones on the borders. Why is the Indian Army making the move? The Indian army is making the move amid the rising tensions with Pakistan in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack. An Indian Army officer told The Times of India, 'The fire-and-forget VSHORADS-NG, based on infra-red homing technology, are needed by Army to meet the evolving dynamic air threat. There are major shortages in such man-portable systems for terminal and point defence against all types of aerial threats.' The RFP document, under the 'operational characteristics and feature' head, states, 'To meet the evolving dynamic air threat, Army Air Defence requires Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORADS) manportable missile system for effective terminal and point defence.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The system should comprise of a IR homing missile coupled to a manportable launching mechanism and suitable sighting system to engage targets both by day and night,' it says. It should have the capability to engage fighter, transport aircraft, helicopters and UAS (unmanned aerial system), the document says. The procurement seeks to booster the Army's air-defence capabilities to deal with any adversarial aerial threat. Under the 'Proposed Service Employment' head of the RFP document, it has been said that the VSHORADS (NG) will be used by 'all three services as terminal and point defence system against all types of aircraft, helicopters and UAS'. The air defence system is proposed to be employed on land and ship-based platforms with these two configurations – 'manportable single launcher configuration' and 'para dropped operations'. The procurement seeks to booster the Army's air-defence capabilities to deal with any adversarial aerial threat. PTI The system is proposed to be employed across all terrains, including high-altitude areas, plains, deserts, coastal areas and the maritime domain. The VSHORADS (NG) system should be able to 'operate during day and night for engagement of aerial targets under all weather conditions, including snow-bound locations'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The range of the operating temperature is minus 30 degrees Celsius (minimum) to 50 degrees Celsius (maximum), according to the RFP. 'The missile should be effective against all types of aircraft, helicopters and UAS' and according to the requirements defined in the RFP, the maximum effective range is 6,000 metres or more, while the minimum range is not more than 500 metres. The system should have the ability to engage targets approaching at a speed of 400 metres per second or more, according to the requirements defined in the document. On the 'deployment time', the requirement says the 'system to be deployable from transportation to firing mode within three minutes'. On the transportability requirement, the RFP document says 'the system with single launcher should be manportable' and the equipment should have the capability to be transported in 'service vehicle, ships, trains and aircraft and being para dropped'. With inputs from agencies
