AMCA: Parts enter production, Internal bay tested, Mk2 will be Optionally manned

Girish Deodhare, Director, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) speaking to the Indian media has said that certain parts that will be required for the first AMCA has entered production, and the rollout of the Prototype of the AMCA will happen in 2024 and the first flight of the aircraft will be completed in 2025. Since stealth will be a major characteristic of the aircraft, it has been designed to match or supersede many of the current 5th generation aircraft while providing optimal balance between aircraft availability and stealth aspect. Deodhare said that ADA knows that many of the 5th generation aircraft have huge downtime due to extensive repair work that is needed to maintain the stealth characteristic of the aircraft. AMCA will come with a Vehicle health monitoring system that will help reduce downtime and will have a higher operational availability rate for which ADA has conducted special studies. ADA has developed a special coating for the Glass cockpit section to reduce its radar reflection and also confirmed that the Internal weapons bay design has been realized on the ground at the R&D engineering in Pune and most of the technologies have been developed and only some technologies that are left to be developed will be completed soon. Deodhare also confirmed that AMCA Mk2 that will enter production in 2034-35 will be an Optionally manned platform that is what the world expects in a 6th generation aircraft but will be made available in the 5.5th AMCA Mk2 so that in dangerous missions over hostile airspace, aircraft don’t need to have a pilot in the cockpit. AMCA Mk2 can take off and land autonomously even with a pilot or without a pilot in the cockpit and can reach mission waypoints on its own when it is not manned. but the ability to strike a target will be left to an external pilot who will be monitoring the aircraft from the ground with satellite links with manual override function. IAF has committed to order 40 AMCA Mk1 powered by GE-F414IN engine that will enter production in 2030-31 and 100+ Mk2 that will enter production in 2034-35. NOTE : Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copyright strikes