Russia AMCA Mk2 Programme: Russia has put forward a fresh defence offer for India at a time when the country is still building its own Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, or AMCA. The proposal is centered on the Product 177S engine, also called Izdeliye 177S, and it has been linked in reports to AMCA Mk2. The idea is not only to sell equipment.
Russia is also said to be offering joint production, local manufacturing, and wider technology sharing under the Make in India route. At the same time, India’s main public goal remains clear. It wants AMCA to grow as a homegrown fifth-generation fighter programme.
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177S Engine
The engine question is one of the biggest issues for AMCA Mk2. Reports say the aircraft needs a very strong engine in the 110–130 kN thrust range, and Russia is pitching the 177S as a possible answer. The engine is described as being based on the AL-41F1, while also using some ideas from the newer AL-51 family. It is said to deliver around 142 kN of maximum thrust, which would make it powerful enough for a modern fifth-generation fighter.
The features being linked to the engine are also important. Reports describe it as having FADEC, a serrated thrust-vectoring nozzle, a service life of about 6,000 hours, and better fuel use than older Russian engines. In simple terms, that means the engine is built to give strong power, better control, and longer use. For a fighter jet, that matters a lot because the engine affects speed, reach, stealth, and how the plane behaves in the air.
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Su-57E Offer and India’s Own AMCA Plan
Russia’s proposal is not limited to engines. Reports also say Moscow is offering local production of the Su-57E stealth fighter in India, along with technology transfer. Earlier Reuters reporting also said Russia had offered to make the Su-57 in India for the Indian Air Force. But India has not made any official move saying the Su-57E will replace AMCA or slow it down. Public reporting in 2026 still shows India asking for proposals to locally build a fifth-generation fighter while keeping AMCA at the center of its long-term plan.
A switch of engines would not be a small job. Fighter engines are tied to the whole aircraft design, from air intake and cooling to weight balance and flight performance. So even if the Russian offer looks attractive on paper, fitting a different engine into AMCA would need major design changes and would bring cost and time risks.
