AMCA Fighter Jet: Jitendra Jadhav, the Director General of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), has said that India’s fifth-generation fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), will include advanced sixth-generation technology.
During the Aero India show in Bengaluru, Jadhav spoke to defence and aerospace journalist Anantha Krishnan M. He explained that artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role in AMCA’s capabilities. At the India Pavilion, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) displayed a full-scale model of AMCA for the first time.
The jet is designed as a single-engine aircraft and is expected to reach speeds above Mach 2. It will have a combat range of over 1,600 km and a fuel capacity of 6,500 kg. AMCA will also have better situational awareness and will be capable of penetrating Integrated Air Defence Systems.
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Jadhav highlighted the AI-powered electronic pilot system in the aircraft. He stated, “This electronic pilot does more than just multi-sensor data fusion. It helps the pilot by offering decision support, automatic target tracking, and automatic aerial target tracking. Many AI algorithms have been integrated, making AMCA a fifth-generation aircraft with embedded sixth-generation technology.”
He confirmed that the Indian government fully approved the AMCA project in April, and the aircraft is currently in the design phase, reported by The Week.
Some people have questioned whether the technology in AMCA will become outdated by the time the jet is ready. In response, Jadhav assured that the aircraft has an open architecture and modular airframe, allowing it to adapt to new sensors and technology upgrades.
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India expects to induct the AMCA by 2035. Jadhav expressed confidence that the advanced features in AMCA will make it comparable to the latest sixth-generation fighter jets in the world.
