The paper design of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) prototype has been finalised at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Ministry of Defence, marking a significant milestone in India's indigenous defence manufacturing. According to information, the aircraft is expected to make its first appearance by the end of 2027. Speaking exclusively to India TV, AMCA Project Director Krishna Rajendra offered detailed insights into the aircraft's design and capabilities.
He confirmed that the AMCA will be a fifth-generation fighter jet with the primary design for the stealth aircraft now complete. "What makes it unique is that this aircraft will not be noticed on the enemy's radar; that is the stealth feature of this aircraft," Rajendra said. He emphasised that the design is entirely indigenous with ADA serving as the nodal agency in close coordination with multiple DRDO labs, CSR facilities and academic institutions. "We have designed this aircraft indigenously... This is a completely indigenous aircraft... And in the last Aero India, we demonstrated the full-scale engineering model of this particular aircraft, which demonstrates the design capability as well as the manufacturing capability which exists in the country," he added.
Key features of the AMCA:
- Internal weapon bay with the capacity to store armaments inside the aircraft's belly
- Dual operational modes -- Stealth Mode and Non-Stealth Mode
- In Stealth Mode, weapon load capacity will be up to 1.5 tonnes
- In Non-Stealth Mode, weapon load capacity will be up to 5 tonnes
Stealth and defence capabilities
Rajendra further highlighted that the AMCA will be fully equipped to evade both enemy radars and missile systems. Among its most notable innovations is a system he referred to as the "electronic pilot." "In any fighter aircraft, if you see, twin-seater aircraft will be there, whereas AMCA is a single-seater aircraft with a single pilot which has to do the second pilot's job also... The job of the second pilot will be done by a digital pilot — known as electronic pilot," he explained.
Electronic pilot powered by AI technology
Elaborating on the feature, Rajendra said, "The electronic pilot comes with various technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, which will provide various help to the pilot to make decisions." This integration of AI is expected to greatly enhance pilot efficiency, situational awareness and mission success rates, he added. It is to be noted here that with its stealth design, advanced technology and indigenous development, the AMCA is being hailed as a leap forward in India’s quest for self-reliance in cutting-edge military aviation.
