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On 26 May 2015, The Society for Aerospace Studies, publishers of the Vayu Aerospace & Defence Review, held a joint workshop with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), in New Delhi covering the twin topics 'Beyond the MMRCA : Numbers and Missions' and 'Fast Tracking the AMCA.'
A detailed look at the AMCA programme, highlighting key areas of concern is published here, following on from a summary published in Vayu IV/2015.
Thirteen years from concept to closure": the Indian Air Force's tender for a Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft(MMRCA) has been formally cancelled. Instead, a limited purchase of 36 Dassault Rafales is being negotiated without the transfers of technology and local production envisaged in the original RFP for the MMRCA. Cancellation of the tender to locally produce the winning candidate, Rafale, is compounded by the fact that fighter strength of the IAF is diminishing alarmingly. The IAF already operates a wide variety of aircrafttypes imposing significant strains on logistics, training budgets, as well as having an impact on force synergy. The acquisition of a 'mere' two squadrons of Rafales will only add to these issues. It is in this scenario that many believe that ADA's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft(AMCA) may just be the panacea that the IAF is hoping for.
The AMCA programme, while still very early into its design and development phase, is believed to hold immense potential to replace the wide range of legacy IAF aircraft. The AMCA will, at the same time, increase the force's capabilities as the aircraftwill be a generation ahead of what the IAF currently fields, or is considering, for its requirements. Development of ADA's Light Combat Aircraft(LCA) has over the last 30 odd years certainly created a reliable aeronautics eco-system for the AMCA programme, making it a realistic and deliverable programme. Many believe that, if the IAF were to throw their force behind the AMCA programme, it would result in a shiftfrom short term tactical thinking to a more long term strategic overview keeping pace with technological developments and future threats.
This presentation on, and an analyses of the AMCA programme to meet the IAF's requirement of a fifth generation medium weight fighter aircraft, aggregates officially available information on the programme and attempts to understand the drivers of,...