Context: AMCA fighter project
Ministry of Defence issued Request for Proposal (RFP) for AMCA — India’s indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft programme aimed at strengthening self-reliance in advanced combat aviation.
AMCA — Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
- Indigenous fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter aircraft being developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
- Features: Stealth technology, supercruise capability, advanced avionics, internal weapon bays, and reduced radar signature.
- Aim: Meet long-term Indian Air Force operational requirements and reduce dependence on foreign fighter aircraft.
Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft
- Fifth-generation fighter aircraft combine stealth with advanced combat networking and avionics.
- Important features include stealth capability, sensor fusion, supercruise, AI-enabled avionics, and network-centric warfare.
- Rafale, MiG-29 and Tejas Mk-1 are not fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
- Examples: F-35 of USA, J-20 of China, Su-57 of Russia, and AMCA of India, which is under development.
Stealth Technology
- Radar Cross-Section (RCS): Measure of how detectable an object is by radar; stealth aircraft have very small RCS.
- Radar Absorbing Material (RAM): Special coating or material used to absorb radar waves and reduce radar reflection.
- Internal weapon carriage: Weapons are kept inside the aircraft body to avoid radar reflection from external payloads.
- Reduced infrared signature: Engine heat and noise are reduced to avoid infrared detection.
- Stealth aircraft can still be detected by certain radar frequencies and advanced tracking systems.
- Metamaterials help reduce electromagnetic scattering, improving stealth characteristics.
Indigenous Defence Hardware
- Su-30 MKI fighter jets and T-90 tanks are manufactured in India under licensed production.
- Akula-class submarine is Russian-origin and not manufactured in India.
- Important indigenous or India-manufactured systems include Tejas LCA, Arjun MBT, Akash Missile System, Pinaka Rocket System, and AMCA.
- Importance: Strategic autonomy, reduced import dependence, defence exports growth, and indigenous technology ecosystem.
