Made-in-India stealth fighter project set to take off in 2022

[Pakistan Space Agency]

Yes. Approval has been given to build it. First on paper and later a real one. ...

No, it hasn't. It may be given next year as per the article.

 

[Big_bud]

NEW DELHI: India is now finally getting set to launch its most ambitious indigenous military aviation project to build a fifth-generation fighter or the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) with advanced stealth features as well as 'supercruise' capabilities.
The case for the full-scale engineering development of the twin-engine AMCA prototypes has been finalized and will be sent for approval to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) by early next year after consultations between the defence and finance ministries, top sources said on Sunday.

Production of fifth-generation jets is an extremely complex and expensive affair, with the American F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning-II Joint Strike Fighter, the Chinese Chengdu J-20 and Russian Sukhoi-57 being the only operational ones around the globe at present.
Experts, however, contend the J-20 and Sukhoi-57 fighters are still somewhat short of being true-blue fifth-generation fighters. The 36 Rafales being inducted by IAF, under the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked with France in September 2016, are 4.5-generation jets.

As of now, the development cost of the 25-tonne AMCA is estimated to be around Rs 15,000 crore, with the first prototype’s “rollout” by 2025-26 and production of the Mark-1 jets slated to begin in 2030-31 under the “aggressive timelines” set by DRDO and its Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). A more realistic timeframe for the AMCA induction to kick-off, however, would be around 2035.
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 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.

Consequently, 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. "With the foreign collaborator to be selected by early-2022, the new engine will be concurrently developed indigenously,” said a source.

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.




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. “IAF will certainly require additional Tejas jets after the next 83 are delivered, whether they are enhanced variants of Mark-1A or Mark-2. Many technologies proven in their manufacture will be scaled up for AMCA,” said a source.

AMCA Fighter Jet: Made-in-India stealth fighter project set to take off in 2022 | India News - Times of India

India News: India is now finally getting set to launch its most ambitious indigenous military aviation project to build a fifth-generation fighter or the advanced

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

3.5 GEN Tejas took 40+ years still under development, just imagine 5th GEN desi fighter would take might be 100 light years.

@Windjammer @Huffal @Areesh @Imran Khan

So just 2 Billion USD for 5th Gen aircraft with new engine development! Nice! They like to use crores so that their public thinks something mega and gigantic is being cooked! 15000 crores! WaaOOOOooW!
JF 17 Thunder was built with 500 Million USD investment each from China and Pakistan back in late 1990s, 1 Billion USD of that time. Im not sure what they are planning to do with these 2 Billion $!

 

[johncliu88]

The title of the original post makes everyone in the whole world drops their eyeballs. Really?

 

[Bossman]

The project will take off in 2022 and the prototype will take off in 2042 and I am not sure if it will land.

 

[Indos]

The title of the original post makes everyone in the whole world drops their eyeballs. Really?

2022 is a start of the Engineering manufacturing program. They said the prototype roll out will be in 2026, so with this time frame I see there will be basic design and detail design phase process once again. If the basic design has already been completed like what they said last year, it should only take about 2 years from now to get their first prototype ready to be roll out.

 

[Han-Tang]

the project is set to take off in 2022, not the plane.
the taking off time of the plane？ maybe 2122？
Indian media loves playing with words.

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

No, it hasn't. It may be given next year as per the article.

True

Any official source on this info?

No official source as the project has not been approved officially. All timelines are projected timelines only.

India needs technology help from Russia or France or UK to build AMCA. The talks with these countries is in progress. So until the deal with one of these countries has been finalized, Indian AMCA program will not start.

 

[lightoftruth]

Deputy General Manager HAL

https://twitter.com/x/status/1420955765980893185

Midhani supplies titanium alloy for medium combat jets’ airframe


As India works to further strengthen its armed forces by equipping them with the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), Hyderabad-based defence PSU, Midhani, has begun supplying the titanium alloy material needed to make the airframe for the aircraft.

“The airframe is an important part of AMCA which is being developed for the first time in India. Other structures come up on airframe and to make it, we have provided a strategic titanium alloy. Some of the requirements have already been met,” Midhani CMD Sanjay Kumar Jha told TOI

Airframe construction has started.....

Timelines are strict with this one.

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

Deputy General Manager HAL

https://twitter.com/x/status/1420955765980893185

It is still not confirmed that HAL would be the lead integrator for the AMCA program This is just HAL propaganda. There is a proposal to have a private player working with DRDO/ADA to be the lead integrator for the AMCA instead of HAL and have HAL focus on Tejas MK1 /MK 1A / MK2 programs.

 

[lightoftruth]

It is still not confirmed that HAL would be the lead integrator for the AMCA program This is just HAL propaganda. There is a proposal to have a private player working with DRDO/ADA to be the lead integrator for the AMCA instead of HAL and have HAL focus on Tejas MK1 /MK 1A / MK2 programs.

Prototypes will be built by HAL only ,production will involve private players.

Govt. target is 1st prototype by 2024,possibly before elections.

Next 3 years are extremely important Tejas mk1A has its first flight by March 2022.

Tejas mark 2 Prototype is scheduled to fly in 2023 first half.

Girish S Deodhare, Program Director and Director, was quoted as saying by The Hindu: “The detailed design is complete. In fact, we are in the critical design review stage and metal cutting should start very shortly.

“The rollout of the aircraft (Mk2) is planned for next year and the first flight in early 2023. We are well on track to achieve these goals.”

https://asiatimes.com/2021/11/indias-tejas-mk2-fighter-jet-on-track-officials-say/

 

[crankthatskunk]

Well Done India.

The project start date 2022.
Project completion date 3022.

No need to worry, if you think the completion date is unrealistic and too early.
India would be working on emergency footing to complete the project on time.

 

[Sage]

It is to set off in 2022 and it shall complete in 2122....INSHALLAH

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

Prototypes will be built by HAL only ,production will involve private players.

Govt. target is 1st prototype by 2024,possibly before elections.

Next 3 years are extremely important Tejas mk1A has its first flight by March 2022.

Tejas mark 2 Prototype is scheduled to fly in 2023 first half.

Girish S Deodhare, Program Director and Director, was quoted as saying by The Hindu: “The detailed design is complete. In fact, we are in the critical design review stage and metal cutting should start very shortly.

“The rollout of the aircraft (Mk2) is planned for next year and the first flight in early 2023. We are well on track to achieve these goals.”

https://asiatimes.com/2021/11/indias-tejas-mk2-fighter-jet-on-track-officials-say/

Those are all proposals and planted stories by HAL. Neither AMCA nor Tejas MK2 have been approved yet. The only programs that have been approved are Tejas MK1 and MK1A.

 

[lightoftruth]

Those are all proposals and planted stories by HAL. Neither AMCA nor Tejas MK2 have been approved yet. The only programs that have been approved are Tejas MK1 and MK1A.

"Prototype design for the twin engine AMCA is in the process of being finalized and is expected to be sent for approval to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)."

https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/india-to-get-its-own-5th-gen-fighter-amca-prototype-to-get-approval-next-year/2373842/

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

No way India can do this unless India manages to steal advanced taknology Project Azm's R&D