What is AMCA, cleared by Rajnath Singh? Will it beat Chinese-made J-20 and US-made F-35 if given to Pakistan?

The ambitious project of developing Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft has hit the headlines once again with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh clearing its Execution Model. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)'s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will execute the project with the help of private partners. The ADE said in a statement that it is an important step in harnessing the indigenous expertise, capacity and capability in developing the medium range fighter jets. With an initial estimated cost of Rs 15,000 crore, the project reflects India's confidence in indigenously developing fighter jets after the success of the Light Combat Aircraft. 

What is AMCA?

The AMCA or the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft will be a single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft, which can be used by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. It will be developed to perform many types of missions including air supremacy, ground-strike, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and electronic warfare (EW). It will be built in such a way that it can supplant the Russia-made fighter Sukhoi Su-30MKI, the backbone of the IAF fighter fleet.

AMCA Project launched in 2010

After the AMCA project was announced in April 2010, a feasibility report was launched in October 2010 and an amount of Rs 90 crore was allocated. The ADE, which was asked to execute the project sought an additional amount of Rs 9,000 crore for the development of two technology demonstrators and seven prototypes. Talking about the AMCA, Colonel (Retired) Sanjeet Sirohi said that it would take not less than ten years before the first AMCA is rolled out.

(Chinese-made JF-20 Stealth Fighter)

Chinese stealth fighters

The AMCA can be compared to the Chinese-made J-20, which is a single-engine fifth-generation stealth bomber. However, AMCA can be considered superior to J-20 because it will be a sixth-generation stealth with two engines. Beijing has about 200 such fighters right now. However, China is developing two separate sixth-generation stealth fighters. While state-controlled Chengdu Aircraft Corporation is working on a JF-35 stealth fighter, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation is developing a JF-50. The two stealth fighters will be of different variations for different uses. 

US stealth fighter

The most sophisticated stealth fighter jet in the world is US-made F-35. However, the Lockheed Martin-developed F-35 is a single-engine supersonic stealth fighter. This is the plane US President Donald Trump offered to sell to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the latter visited Washington in February this year. Colonel Sanjeet Sirohi pointed out that Washington will not give the technical know-how or the license to manufacture the aircraft to India as it is against its policies.