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The biennial event which completed its 14th edition in Bengaluru witnessed the largest participation of the contingent from the United States of America for the first time ever in Aero India.

Aerobatics performed by the metal birds enthralled the onlookers who had gathered in huge numbers on the last day at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in the city. India’s indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, light combat helicopters and light utility helicopters developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited were part of the show.

Besides, Rafale jets and Sukhoi aircrafts put up an impressive show during the event.
However, the most notable was the presence of F-35, B-1B Lancers, the F-16 and F-18 which too participated in the show.

Sorties by vintage aircrafts, aerobatics by Surya Kiran team of the IAF, which flew the Hawk aircrafts and Sarang (meaning peacock in Sanskrit) display team of the IAF using the HAL developed Dhruv helicopters left the audience spellbound.

The five-day event saw a number of seminars such as Manthan and Bandhan where deliberations were held on a range of subjects including India’s self-reliance programme, indigenous development of futuristic aerospace technology, India’s space initiatives, advancement in maritime surveillance system, investment opportunities in Karnataka.

There was a huge turnout at the exhibitions and displays by various companies during the show. The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Indian Space Research Organisation, Bharat Electronics Limited, Defence Research and Development Organisation were among those who put up their stalls.

As many as 266 partnerships including 201 MoUs, 53 major announcements and nine product launches were firmed up at the Aero India that could unlock business potentials worth around Rs 80,000 crore. The MoUs included one between Hindustan Aeronautics and Safran Helicopter Engines of France for work share for formation of joint venture for design, development, manufacture and life time support of helicopter engines.

The agreements and the MoUs were formally signed at an event titled “Bandhan” ceremony that was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, top leaders of Indian defence industries and senior military officials.

“The Bandhan ceremony also witnessed the forging of 266 partnerships including 201 MoUs, 53 major announcements, nine product launches and three Transfers of Technology (ToT), worth around Rs 80,000 crore,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

The Bharat Electronics Ltd and Aeronautical Development Agency also inked an MoU for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The product launches at Aero India included the vertically launched short range surface-to-air missile (Bharat Dynamics Ltd).

It is a next-generation, ship-based, all-weather, air defence weapon which can be used by the Navy as a quick reaction defence against supersonic sea skimming targets such as aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The missile has a smokeless propulsion system with all-weather capability. It has a highly agile configuration with state-of-the-art electronic counter-measures features.

Another significant product launch was of the semi-active laser seeker based anti-tank guided missile developed by Bharat Dynamics Limited. The missile weighs 23 kgs with the launch tube, and can be used in different kinds of terrains to incapacitate moving and stationary targets such as tanks and infantry combat vehicles.

Another major landmark at the Aero India 2023 was the participation by Israel this year which marked 30 years of Indo-Israel defence collaboration. SIBAT, the International Defence Collaboration Directorate of the Israel Ministry of Defence, is in charge of fostering defence cooperation between Israel and India. The show saw the demonstration of some defence technologies developed by Israel including Air Defence Systems, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Aerial and Ground Precise Guided Munitions, Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems, Land and Naval Solutions, Avionic Systems, Air and Missile Defence Systems.

In a major boost to indigenous defence industry, the CMD of Munitions India Limited, Ravi Kant said that the company has got orders for more than 10 lakh multi-mode grenades for Indian armed forces and over Rs 3,000 crores of orders for exports.

The 14th edition of Aero India at the Yelahanka Air Force station complex on the outskirts of Bengaluru was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13 february and it saw participation of over 700 defence firms and representatives of around 100 countries.

The defence minister said that Aero India showcased to the world the ‘New Defence Sector’ of ‘New India’, which has not only grown in the last few years, but is now fully ready to walk alongside the defence sectors of leading countries.

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India, desperate to modernise its largely Soviet-era fighter jet fleet to boost its air power, is concerned about Russian supply delays due to the Ukraine war and faces pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow.

The American delegation to the week-long Aero India show in Bengaluru, which ended on 17 February, was the biggest in the 27-year history of the show and underlines the growing strategic relationship between the United States and India.

In contrast, Russia, India’s largest weapons supplier since the Soviet Union days, had a nominal presence. Its state-owned weapons exporter Rosoboronexport had a joint stall with United Aircraft and Almaz-Antey, displaying miniature models of aircraft, trucks, radars and tanks.

At previous editions of the show, Rosoboronexport had a more central position for its stall, although Russia has not brought a fighter jet to Bengaluru for a decade after India began considering more European and U.S. fighter jets.

Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets have already entered the race to supply fighter jets for the Indian Navy’s second aircraft carrier and Lockheed Martin’s F-21, an upgraded F-16 designed for India unveiled at Aero India in 2019, are also being offered to the air force.

A $20 billion air force proposal to buy 114 multi-role fighter aircraft has been pending for five years, brought into sharp focus by tensions with China and Pakistan.

The F-35 is not being considered by India “as of now”, according to an Indian Air Force (IAF) source, but the display of two F-35s at Aero India for the first time was a sign of New Delhi’s growing strategic importance to Washington.

The United States is selective about which countries it allows to buy the F-35. When asked if it would be offered to India, Rear Admiral Michael L. Baker, defence attache at the U.S. embassy in India, said New Delhi was in the “very early stages” of considering whether it wanted the plane.

The United States has approved arms sales worth more than $6 billion to India in the last six years, including transport aircraft, Apache, Chinook and MH-60 helicopters, missiles, air defence systems, naval guns and P-8I Poseidon surveillance aircraft.

India also wants to manufacture more defence equipment at home in collaboration with global giants, first to meet its own needs and eventually to export sophisticated weapons platforms.

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The AMCA will be the first fifth-generation fighter used by the Indian Air Force (IAF). This fighter will provide many advanced and futuristic technologies to the IAF.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) are jointly developing AMCA for the needs of the IAF.

The Necessity

The AMCA project is critical for IAF, which is grappling with just 30-32 fighter squadrons and will not reach its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons even with “planned inductions” over the next 10-15 years.

The IAF needs the AMCA for the following reasons:

•   Most of the fighter aircraft of IAF are fourth generation fighters. IAF currently does not operate any fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Leading military powers of the world have either already developed their fifth-generation jets or are in the advanced stage of their development. The US has F-22 Raptor and F-35, Russia has developed Su-57. China has developed J-20. It is imperative for India to go for a fifth-generation fighter jet when its adversary China has it.

•   China’s fifth-generation fighter J-20 entered into service in 2017. Till now at least 40 units have been manufactured. As per reports, China may have around 200 of them by 2027. This is a serious concern for India. If a new more powerful engine is developed, the J-20 will achieve its full potential and become a major headache for India.

•  Fifth-generation fighters offer a full spectrum of new technologies that are not there in fourth generation jets. These are stealth, supercruise, etc. Also, many futuristic technologies like Directed Energy Weapons, Flyby Optics can operate at their best in these fifth-generation fighter jets.

•   An indigenous platform is the most logical decision. There are very few options available for import. The USA is not likely to offer such a platform to India as it has not yet given them to many of its closest allies. Procuring and operating the F-35 is already an economic burden for US air force itself. IAF cannot afford it. The F-35 is much bigger and heavier. But, the AMCA’s technology and capabilities will be at par with any other fifth-generation fighter in the world.

•   India was working with Russia on the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project. But it pulled back due to many issues like pricing and transfer of technology. Cost is a major issue while procuring foreign platforms. There are limitations on integrating indigenous weapons and technologies with foreign platforms.

Development of AMCA So Far

The programme was earlier known as Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA). It was re-framed in 2010 with its name as AMCA. The basic design configuration was finalized in 2015. In 2018, the defence minister declared that the feasibility study had been completed. It was also decided to complete this project in two phases. The detailed design phase of AMCA started in 2018. The process for government approval of the next phase has been initiated.

Expected Timeline

AMCA will be developed in 2 phases. They are called AMCA Mk1 and AMCA Mk2. AMCA Mk1 will be a fifth-generation fighter aircraft and AMCA Mk2 will be more advanced with some features of sixth-generation fighter aircraft. AMCA Mk1 will be rolled out by 2024. Its first flight is expected in 2025. The induction in service may start from 2030.  It may take another 10 years for the development of AMCA Mk2. A more realistic timeframe for the AMCA induction to kick-off, however, would be around 2035.

AMCA Numbers

It is expected that IAF will order 40 AMCA Mk1 and 80 Mk2. Thus, IAF is currently looking for total of 120 fifth-generation stealthy fighters. The AMCA is expected to replace Su-30 MKI in the future. But IAF operates over 272 Su-30s. With the AMCA’s induction, the fourth-generation fighters with their upgraded versions will continue to play a major role in the coming years.

Costs

Fifth Generation fighter aircraft, due to very special features, are costlier than fourth generation fighter aircraft. Since AMCA is an indigenous Fifth Generation aircraft, it is less costlier than similar aircraft available outside.

The maintenance costs are high. No country can acquire costly niche capability in large numbers. The IAF has conceptualised its need for only seven squadrons of the AMCA (including the Mark-2 version). Maintaining the stealth features makes the aircraft more expensive.

As of now, the development cost of the 25-tonne AMCA is estimated to be around Rs 15,000 crore.

Learning from Tejas Experience

The Aeronautical Development Agency and other academic institutions together developed the stealth technology. Getting stealth material was another challenge. After years of dedicated work, the team managed to overcome those challenges.

Tejas LCA was the country’s first venture into 4.5-generation combat aircraft. Nobody was ready to share knowledge. All core technologies were developed indigenously. All stakeholders have to be involved right from the beginning. Maintenance, ground support equipment, etc, have to be factored in along with proving the technologies and flying capability.

The AMCA is designed for future upgrades as its architecture allows it to incorporate new systems easily. Its basic airframe is stealth- and future-friendly.

Normally, the shelf life of an aircraft is 30 years, and the AMCA is designed to take care of upgrades for that period.

The AMCA can be teamed up with unmanned assets. There will be more unmanned assets with manned fighters controlling them.

Features

The detailed AMCA designing, which was sanctioned in December 2018, meets IAF’s “preliminary staff qualitative requirements” but the requisite powerful engine remains a major problem.

The AMCA will be available in stealth and non-stealth variants. The first two squadrons of AMCA Mark-1 will have the existing General Electric-414 afterburning turbofan engine in the 98 Kilonewton thrust class, while the next five mark-2 squadrons will have a more powerful 110 Kilonewton engine.

The advanced stealth features in the swing-role AMCA will range from “serpentine air-intake” and an internal bay for smart weapons to radar absorbing materials and conformal antenna.

The fighter will also have the supercruise capability to achieve supersonic cruise speeds without the use of afterburners as well as data fusion and multi-sensor integration with AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars.

The AMCA is envisioned as a twin-engine stealth aircraft with an internal weapons bay and Diverter-less Supersonic Intake, which has been produced for the first time and for which the design is now complete.

It will be a 25-tonne aircraft with an internal payload of 1,500 kg and an exterior payload of 5,500 kg in addition to 6,500 kg of internal fuel.

India and France are nearing a deal to collaborate on the development of a 125kN engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). DRDO and Safran are expected to jointly produce the advanced AMCA engine.

Safran and HAL already collaborate on the Shakti engine, which powers the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv and its variants, thus a future deal for AMCA engine between the two could be expected to be smooth.

Interim Plans

In the interim, IAF’s planned inductions include 73 Tejas Mark-1A fighters and 10 trainers, which will be delivered in the 2024-2028 timeframe under the Rs 46,898 crore deal inked with Hindustan Aeronautics in February this year. Then there is the long-pending “Make in India” project for 114 new 4.5-generation fighters with “some fifth-generation capabilities” for over Rs 1.25 lakh crore, which has seven foreign contenders and is likely to get the initial “acceptance of necessity” next year.

There are some discussions also underway about whether India should leapfrog from the Tejas Mark-1A directly to the AMCA.

Testing Technology

DRDO, in March 2022, a DRDO announcemen said, “Based on the design by ADA & DRDO, the fabrication of leading edge of AMCA initiated at HAL with special material for 5th gen design. The unit will undergo structural & other testing before putting it on the first prototype. An imp milestone for AMCA.”

Special Purpose Vehicle

In February 2022, R Madhavan, chairman of HAL had said that the company was employing a special purpose vehicle (SPV) model with private partners to produce the next-generation AMCA and Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH).

The progress in the AMCA program would mark a major shift for India which stares as a shortage of combat aircraft against the requisite strength along with an aggressive neighbour at its doorstep.

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