Many defense aviation enthusiasts in India are perplexed by reports that the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been removed from the AMCA project, India’s fifth-generation fighter jet program.
According to media reports, the government has shortlisted three private-sector firms, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Larsen & Toubro, and Bharat Forge Limited of the Kalyani Group, to develop and produce AMCA fighter jets, and the winner is set to be chosen in the next three months.
Many are questioning the decision, as while HAL has over eight decades of experience in the aerospace sector, all three shortlisted private firms have no prior experience in producing fighter jets.
HAL has not only licensed-produced hundreds of fighter jets, such as MiG-21s, MiG-27s, SEPECAT Jaguars, Dornier 228, and Su-30 MKIs, but it has also designed and developed fighter aircraft from scratch, such as the HF-24 Marut and LCA Tejas Mk1.
These decades of experience in designing and manufacturing fighter jets could have come in handy in the AMCA program.
Many are wondering whether selecting inexperienced firms for such an ambitious program will further delay the already delayed AMCA project.
After all, Lockheed Martin, Russia’s Sukhoi, and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), all the firms that have produced fifth-generation fighter jets, have decades of aerospace experience behind them, and have produced many fighter jets before designing and developing a stealth aircraft.
People are anxious about whether these private firms have the expertise to design and develop such a complex fighter jet, which only a few companies worldwide have managed to do.
They are also pointing out that if state-run aerospace companies like Sukhoi in Russia and Chengdu in China can deliver, why cannot a state-run company like HAL deliver a stealth aircraft in India?
However, these discussions, while well-meaning, are missing certain key points.
Firstly, HAL has not been removed from the AMCA project as such, but only from the first stage of the program, which includes constructing five AMCA prototypes and a structural test specimen.
The Indian government has sanctioned Rs 15,000 crore for this stage of the project.
AMCA’s first flight is expected around mid-2029. Flight testing of the prototypes will take another five years. The aircraft is expected to enter production around 2034-2035.
HAL has confirmed that it will bid for the license production of the aircraft. Given HAL’s long history in producing fighter aircraft under license, from MiG-21s to Su-30 MKIs, HAL will have a strong case.
“We are yet to receive any official communication about the firms being shortlisted in the screening process. Even if we assume that HAL is not shortlisted in the initial screening for building the five prototypes of the aircraft, we will bid when fresh tenders are floated for the licence manufacturing of the jet,” HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director, DK Sunil, said.
“In case HAL is not shortlisted for building AMCA prototypes, it does not mean that it will not be part of the AMCA programme when manufacturing starts around 2035. Not participating in stage 1 does not mean we can’t participate in stage 2,” he said.
He also underlined that by 2035, HAL will have even more technical expertise in building fighter aircraft.
“HAL is simultaneously advancing multiple strategic programmes, including the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH), LCA Mk2, and Combat Air Teaming System (CATS), which will further strengthen its technological capabilities and long-term growth prospects. These programmes are expected to enter production post-2032,” the HAL statement noted.
Another major factor is that the HAL order book is full for the next few years.
HAL has to deliver 180 LCA Tejas Mk1A fighter jets to the Indian Air Force. It is also responsible for designing and developing the LCA Tejas Mk2. When completed, HAL could receive an order to deliver 200 LCA Mk2 fighter jets.
HAL also has to deliver 157 Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand. It is also part of manufacturing 12 new Su-30 MKIs under license.
Earlier this month, HAL also signed an agreement with Russia’s UAC (parent company of Sukhoi) for licensed production of Sukhoi Superjet (SJ-100) civil commuter aircraft. There are reports that HAL may win an order to produce more than 100 SJ-100 aircraft.
Separately, HAL might also win an order to produce two to three squadrons of Su-57 fighter jets, which is currently under evaluation. It is also working on the design and development of the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH) and the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS).
In all probability, HAL will also be a part of the 114-aircraft MRCA deal. As per reports, HAL will license produce Rafale jets under the deal.
Clearly, the HAL order book is full, and its supply lines are clogged for the next few years. In such a scenario, HAL might not have been able to commit the resources needed for manufacturing the five AMCA prototypes on time.
Also, a key argument against shortlisting the three private firms, TASL, L&T, and Bharat Forge, is that they lack prior experience in designing and developing fighter jets.
However, what many people don’t realize is that most of the design work for AMCA prototypes will be done by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), India’s nodal government agency, under the Ministry of Defence’s DRDO, which is responsible for designing and developing advanced military aircraft.
In fact, even LCA Tejas was designed by the ADA, and not by HAL.
Furthermore, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) is producing Airbus C-295 tactical military transport aircraft in India. As part of a 56-aircraft deal for the Indian Air Force (IAF), 16 are delivered from Spain, while the remaining 40 are being manufactured in India at a dedicated Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, Gujarat.
So, TASL has some experience in producing military transport aircraft.
Perhaps the strongest argument against shortlisting HAL for the AMCA project is that, over the last eight decades, HAL has enjoyed a monopoly over India’s aerospace projects.
As a rule, a monopoly always breeds inefficiency. Bringing in new private players will encourage healthy competition.
For instance, in the US, many companies compete for aerospace projects, such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. In Russia, there are Sukhoi, Mikoyan, Ilyushin, and Tupolev, even though many of them are subsidiaries under the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).
Similarly, in China, there are the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.
However, in India, the aerospace industry was monopolised by just one player for the last eight decades.
If HAL has failed to make the cut as an AMCA prototype bidder, it might be a necessary wake-up call that it does not enjoy a birthright in every Indian aerospace project.
In light of all these factors, the decision not to shortlist HAL for the AMCA prototype project might prove a far-sighted step that will benefit the Indian aerospace industry in more than one way.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
- VIEWS PERSONAL OF THE AUTHOR
- He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
