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NEW DELHI: India is now lastly transferring forward with its long-pending mission to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter, in a step that additionally torpedoes misplaced hypothesis that New Delhi could also be within the F-35A jets showcased by the US at Aero-India in Bengaluru in February.
The full-scale engineering growth case for the indigenous twin-engine superior medium fight plane (AMCA), at a price of round Rs 15,000 crore, will ‘quickly’ be despatched to the PM-led cupboard committee on safety (CCS) for the ultimate approval, sources instructed TOI.
“Extensive inter-ministerial consultations on cost, design and level of indigenous content are virtually complete now. The DRDO case for the AMCA is being finalized for the CCS,” a supply stated.
The formidable AMCA mission will contain growth of 5 prototypes, one structural take a look at specimen, in depth flight testing and certification for the eventual 25-tonne swing-role fighter.
As per projected timelines, the primary AMCA prototype will `roll out’ 4 years after the CCS sanction, with the manufacturing to start one other six years after that. In impact, IAF will start inducting AMCA solely round 2035 onwards.
The solely operational 5th-Gen jets at the moment are the American F/A-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning-II Joint Strike Fighters, with the Chinese Chengdu J-20 and Russian Sukhoi-57 additionally considerably there. “The US sending two F-35s for the Aero-India was just strategic posturing. We are pursuing our own AMCA programme,” the supply stated.
The US, after all, can be cautious of any nation working collectively the F-35s and the Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile techniques that India has inducted. The S-400’s highly effective radars are able to “mapping or recording” information of the F-35’s stealth traits, digital warfare and different capabilities, as earlier reported by TOI.
The CCS in August final yr had cleared the event of the Tejas Mark-2 fighter at an general price of over Rs 9,000 crore, which TOI had then reported can be adopted by the AMCA mission.
The 36 Rafales inducted by IAF underneath the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked with France and the deliberate Tejas Mark-2 are 4.5-Gen fighters. The AMCA, in flip, can be a really 5th-Gen fighter with superior stealth options and the aptitude to super-cruise in addition to information fusion and multi-sensor integration with AESA (lively electronically scanned array) radars.
IAF at the moment plans seven AMCA squadrons (126 jets). With India failing to develop its personal jet engine, the primary two squadrons can be powered by the American GE-414 engines within the 98 Kilonewton thrust class, just like the Tejas Mark-2 jets. The subsequent 5 are deliberate with a extra highly effective 110 Kilonewton engine to be developed with international collaboration.
IAF is at the moment grappling with simply 31 fighter squadrons when no less than 42 are required to deal with China and Pakistan. The induction plan consists of 83 Tejas Mark-1A, 108 Tejas Mark-2, 114 multi-role fighter plane (to be manufactured in India with international collaboration) and at last 126 AMCA.
But the going has been excruciatingly gradual. The 73 Tejas Mark-1A fighters (with GE-404 engines) and 10 trainers need to be delivered by Hindustan Aeronautics within the February 2024-February 2028 timeframe as per the Rs 46,898 crore contract inked in February 2021.
“But the first Tejas Mark-1A will probably come towards end-2024. First, every small equipment change requires extensive flight testing and certification. Moreover, HAL has to majorly upgrade its annual production capability. Tejas Mark-2, of course, is still in the design and development phase,” one other supply stated.
The full-scale engineering growth case for the indigenous twin-engine superior medium fight plane (AMCA), at a price of round Rs 15,000 crore, will ‘quickly’ be despatched to the PM-led cupboard committee on safety (CCS) for the ultimate approval, sources instructed TOI.
“Extensive inter-ministerial consultations on cost, design and level of indigenous content are virtually complete now. The DRDO case for the AMCA is being finalized for the CCS,” a supply stated.
The formidable AMCA mission will contain growth of 5 prototypes, one structural take a look at specimen, in depth flight testing and certification for the eventual 25-tonne swing-role fighter.
As per projected timelines, the primary AMCA prototype will `roll out’ 4 years after the CCS sanction, with the manufacturing to start one other six years after that. In impact, IAF will start inducting AMCA solely round 2035 onwards.
The solely operational 5th-Gen jets at the moment are the American F/A-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning-II Joint Strike Fighters, with the Chinese Chengdu J-20 and Russian Sukhoi-57 additionally considerably there. “The US sending two F-35s for the Aero-India was just strategic posturing. We are pursuing our own AMCA programme,” the supply stated.
The US, after all, can be cautious of any nation working collectively the F-35s and the Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile techniques that India has inducted. The S-400’s highly effective radars are able to “mapping or recording” information of the F-35’s stealth traits, digital warfare and different capabilities, as earlier reported by TOI.
The CCS in August final yr had cleared the event of the Tejas Mark-2 fighter at an general price of over Rs 9,000 crore, which TOI had then reported can be adopted by the AMCA mission.
The 36 Rafales inducted by IAF underneath the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked with France and the deliberate Tejas Mark-2 are 4.5-Gen fighters. The AMCA, in flip, can be a really 5th-Gen fighter with superior stealth options and the aptitude to super-cruise in addition to information fusion and multi-sensor integration with AESA (lively electronically scanned array) radars.
IAF at the moment plans seven AMCA squadrons (126 jets). With India failing to develop its personal jet engine, the primary two squadrons can be powered by the American GE-414 engines within the 98 Kilonewton thrust class, just like the Tejas Mark-2 jets. The subsequent 5 are deliberate with a extra highly effective 110 Kilonewton engine to be developed with international collaboration.
IAF is at the moment grappling with simply 31 fighter squadrons when no less than 42 are required to deal with China and Pakistan. The induction plan consists of 83 Tejas Mark-1A, 108 Tejas Mark-2, 114 multi-role fighter plane (to be manufactured in India with international collaboration) and at last 126 AMCA.
But the going has been excruciatingly gradual. The 73 Tejas Mark-1A fighters (with GE-404 engines) and 10 trainers need to be delivered by Hindustan Aeronautics within the February 2024-February 2028 timeframe as per the Rs 46,898 crore contract inked in February 2021.
“But the first Tejas Mark-1A will probably come towards end-2024. First, every small equipment change requires extensive flight testing and certification. Moreover, HAL has to majorly upgrade its annual production capability. Tejas Mark-2, of course, is still in the design and development phase,” one other supply stated.
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