01.04.2024

"Cooperation with Russia has run into problems": an Indian developer "explained" failures in the program to create a new AMCA fighter

Sections: Air, Markets and cooperation, New development

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Image source: topwar.ru

Recently, South Korea purchased the first batch of the new national fighter KF-21 Boramae. A project to create its own KAAN combat aircraft is nearing completion in Turkey. Against this background, India is noticeably lagging behind, trying to develop the 5th generation AMCA fighter, which has not yet been implemented "in hardware".

As explained in the publication India Defense, failures and delays in the Indian program are due to a bet on domestic developments:

Competing programs such as KF-21 and KAAN have made progress, but they rely heavily on foreign aid and technology, while India focuses on developing its own competencies.

It is indicated that American companies such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman made a significant contribution to the creation of the KF-21. The Turkish KAAN program benefited from the help of British BAE Systems and American firms.

This dependence creates potential obstacles. Foreign partners may have their own priorities when fulfilling orders, or they may be under geopolitical influence. Moreover, dependence on external sources of critical technologies limits a country's control over the final product and can potentially increase the risk of espionage.

- the publication believes.

Image source: topwar.ru

Su-57 - originally a joint project of Russia and India

It is noted that this is why India went its own way when creating the fighter. New Delhi, rejecting potentially profitable partnerships, is striving to provide more than 70% localization for the planned production of the aircraft.

This strategy ensures that India retains full technological sovereignty over AMCA, reducing the risks associated with geopolitics and external dependence

- the publication says.

Against the background of the success of South Korean and Turkish programs, the developer of AMCA, the DRDO organization [an approximate analogue of Rostec], gave his comment, "explaining" the slow pace of work:

India's creation of the AMCA fighter has faced obstacles from the very beginning. Cooperation with Russia under the FGFA program, which began in 2008, faced problems with engine design and low visibility.