7. Strengthening India’s Air Power: The Private Pivot in the AMCA Project

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is at a critical juncture in modernizing its fighter fleet. To ensure \'operational punch,\' the force relies on three synchronized verticals: a potent weapons inventory, professional personnel, and a dependable supply chain. Central to this vision is the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter. In a historic shift, the Ministry of Defence is exploring a private-sector-led execution model for the development of five AMCA prototypes, effectively ending the monopoly of the stateowned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in fighter aircraft manufacturing. Summary of Key Developments • Creation of a Parallel Manufacturing Ecosystem: By awarding the AMCA prototype contract to private players (shortlisted from major industrial groups), the government aims to establish a second aircraft manufacturer to de-risk the program from HAL’s overfilled order books and bureaucratic \'work culture.\' • Transition to Fifth-Gen Technology: The AMCA is a 25- tonne, twin-engine stealth multirole fighter. It features \'Geometric Stealth\' (radar-evading shape), \'Internal Weapon Bays,\' and \'Supercruise\' (supersonic flight without afterburners). • Execution Model Shift: Unlike the Tejas (LCA) project where HAL was the sole integrator, the AMCA project follows an Industry-Competitive Model led by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). Private consortia will now handle prototype construction and systems integration. • Institutional Memory and Infrastructure Challenges: A major hurdle is that private entities are essentially \'start-ups\' in fighter jet development. Unlike HAL, they lack the specialized 80-year-old ecosystem of wind tunnels, test airfields, and co-located DRDO labs in Bengaluru. • Complex Ownership Dynamics: With the design agency (ADA) under the government and the executor being a private entity, the project faces challenges regarding ownership of intellectual property (IP), liability during flight testing, and long-term production assurance. • Strategic Hinterland Location: Experts suggest that new production facilities should be located in the Indian hinterland (away from borders) but close to the \'Aviation Mecca\' of Bengaluru to leverage existing flight-test infrastructure and expert test pilots. Key Definitions • Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA): India\'s indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter program designed to replace the Su-30MKI and Mirage 2000 fleets. • Fifth-Generation Fighter: A class of jet fighters characterized by all-aspect stealth even when armed, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, and high-performance airframes. • Supercruise: The ability of an aircraft to cruise at supersonic speeds without using afterburners, thereby saving fuel and reducing the infrared signature. • Sensor Fusion: An avionics system that combines data from multiple sensors (radar, infrared, electronic intelligence) into a single, easy-to-read display for the pilot. Constitutional & Legal Provisions • Seventh Schedule (Union List): Under Entry 2 (Naval, military and air forces) and Entry 7 (Industries declared by Parliament to be necessary for the purpose of defence), the Central Government has exclusive power over defence production. • Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020: The primary regulatory framework governing defence procurement. It prioritizes \'Buy (Indian-IDDM)\' (Indigenous Design, Development, and Manufacturing) to foster Aatmanirbharta.• Offsite Policy: Mandates that foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) must invest a portion of the contract value (typically 30%) back into the Indian defence or aerospace sector. • Industrial Licensing: Most defence parts are now rationalized under the IDR Act, with license validity increased to 15 years to encourage private participation. Conclusion The decision to involve private consortia in the AMCA project is a bold \'out-of-the-box\' strategy to boost India’s aerospace capacity. However, the success of this \'National Endeavour\' depends on synergy between ADA, the private sector, and the IAF’s test pilots. A \'Co-opted Model,\' where private players utilize HAL’s existing runways and infrastructure in Bengaluru while bringing in private-sector agility, could be the ideal path forward to ensure that India joins the elite club of nations with indigenous fifth-generation air power. UPSC Relevance • GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development; Structure, organization, and functioning of the Ministry of Defence. • GS Paper III: Indigenization of technology and developing new technology; Science and Technologydevelopments and their applications; Security challenges and their management. • Mains/Prelims: Key organizations (ADA, HAL, DRDO-GTRE), fighter jet generations (4th vs 5th), and the strategic importance of stealth technology in regional power dynamics (countering J-20/J-31).