The #LCA project warts and all has brought India to a stage where both Russia and America are willing to offer India a role in their key combat jet programs, howsoever convoluted that role might be. When the combat jet developers of the world realize that India is wholeheartedly pursuing a home grown stealth fighter, they are likely to be even more amenable to giving the IAF what it wants. The #AMCA project if pursue wholeheartedly would yield India a home grown contemporary fighter by 2027-28 since a much larger aerospace base has already been built in India through the LCA project. Besides, if large orders for the AMCA are guaranteed private players would find setting up new facilities much more lucrative. Indeed, the AMCA should actually be executed on a newer kind of public private model that could obviate many of the concerns the IAF has about indigenous production today. Moreover some of the envisaged capabilities for the AMCA including fly by light, cloud shooting and new generation man-machine interfaces actually put it in a realm closer to that of a sixth generation fighter. IAFs move to set up its own R&D practice on the lines of the USAFs Air force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is therefore a welcome step. Of course this new R&D setup must fully synergize itself with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) which is developing the AMCA. Both the F-35 and the PAK-FA cater to the airpower doctrines of their respective home air forces. The F-35 for instance will be part of a team comprising very serious electronic attack capability. The PAK-FA on its part is designed to close in with other stealth aircraft and prevail over them through superior manoeuvrability and infrared sensors. Indias own LCA represents a specific kind of design philosophy growing out of the IAFs experience with the Mig 21. Interestingly, even Turkey which is a participant in the F-35 program is now pursuing a home grown stealth fighter along with the South Koreans. It is now time that the IAF played from a position of strength and sent the right signals to aircraft manufacturers around the world. - Saurav Jha on twitter @SJha1618
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 04:38:40 +0000
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