By Anantha Krishnan M
Bengaluru: The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project of India has gone deep into the detail design phase now. Along with Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), hundreds of scientists spread across at least 20 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) labs are now engrossed in critical work to find solutions to a number of gen-next technologies that need to be proven.
With the Project Definition Phase (PDP) getting over in 2017, Onmanorama can confirm that scientists have already walked some distance designing the AMCA, India’s stealth fighter.
ADA, the designers of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), is spearheading the AMCA mission.
The AMCA will be propelled by a GE-414 engine with a thrust of 90 kN and this will be an interim step by the makers till a higher thrust engine of 110 kN is finalised. The GE-414, set to power Tejas Mk-II, will power AMCA as well, till India develops a 110 kN engine possibly in collaboration with a foreign partner.
The current plan is to fly AMCA with GE-414 engine for the first six-seven years, what the designers now term as an ‘interim engine’ for India’s 5th generation stealth platform.
While the design phase has already been sanctioned to commence activities, the final approval for AMCA from the government (Cabinet Committee of Security) is in process.
The plan is to build four prototypes and fly the first one before 2025, which is seven years from now.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is said to be working out the exact numbers for this future fighter, while the AMCA Directorate at ADA is ensuring a robust foundation for this big ticket desi project.
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