well BAe did make this

but it would probably have to be enlarged significantly in order to allow for a decent size internal bay.. and a bigger nose for a radar.

I think the important part of that mock up is that it was not built into a technology demonstrator that could fly followed by a operational fighter, they just stopped after a proof of their signature management skills.

Sad really, with the sort of money, skills and high technology base (private, government and research) available to them, i suppose it should be viewed in a positive spirit, at-least they made the VLO mock up, the technology developed will come in use with other programs. They would have come up with something much more exiting than the F-35.

Sure Indian threat perception are different to those in the west etc. But what would AMCA bring to IAF/Indian aviation that a strike oriented derivative of FGFA with concurrent development of UCAV cannot?

It will keep up the fighter design and manufacturing skill-base created for the Tejas project(design, radar avionics, engine, flight control system etc. etc.), one of the reason to stick with all the pain in the current LCA project was to acquire the capability to design and build one with as much indigenous content as possible.

The AMCA will have a priority on strike missions (or at least that was what it was supposed to have), quite similar to the roles a UCAV will perform, it will in addition be a capable multirole fighter.

The ministry of defence is (it has been reported) going to fund the UCAV project as well, and there are currently MALE UAVs under development, it is possible that they might also try weaponising the current MALE UAV once it is mature enough.

I think a HALE UAV like global hawk for maritime patrolling will be a good capability to develop, the Indian Ocean is very large and its only going to get busier.

AMCA: With the sort of weight problems on the Tejas and the problems with the Engine, i hope they take in enough steps to make sure there is some improvement. 😀

What would be the role of a UCAV within the Indian military aviation?
Do they really need it, for long ranged missions i can see the advantage of the UCAV platform, however for the areas which are currently in our focus what good would it do?

I have read that DRDO and its agencies are going for the AURA, they have to first complete the current UAV programs successfully, the UCAV will require the successful completion of these programs and iterative improvement, which might save some money on the UAVs we have to source from other nations.

If the purpose is to make a LO/VLO UAV that autonomously seek, identify and destroy targets, would that not interfere with the role of manned assets? Perhaps the work will even depend upon the work they do in signature management with the FGFA and AMCA.

A UCAV of that capacity will be a very high end asset (will need to be well protected), and will take a lot of resources, even cooperation with other nations to be achieved in time.

Important point is that India will not want to fund the majority of the upgrades for the MMRCA over the coming decades. Which, should give the Super Hornet a big advantage in that department……

That’s one advantage, along with the other advantage that they already have USN super hornets flying with a part made in India…..

Its not like France would not upgrade their fleet of Rafale, or the Euro consortium nations won’t upgrade the Euro fighter, or that SAAB won’t upgrade Gripen.

F-16 and MiG-35s are two planes that would cost more over 30-40 years in terms of upgrades.

With the GE-414 already for the Tejas, Gripen and Super hornet should save a lot of money and time.

didn’t Russia just offer China the Su-35. Which, is equipped with 117S’s???

That would be the very reason due to which Russia will not sell any part of the Su-35 package alone in small numbers.

The simplest and cheapest UCAV would be to develop and use the software and comm links (and I don’t mean AI but merely a large set of programmed routines) and use old Mirage III/Vs. Of course they would have their limits of usefulness but this could be the cheapest possible UCAV for the PAF for an air-to-air role.

Not much good if the plane would be intercepted on its way to the target a failed mission on top of the lost plane, unless they do it to test the air defence and it would double up as a target drone, in which case i think its a good idea, as PAF is planning to replace the older types through this decade with the JF-17. If it still needs fighter cover then why not just put a pilot in the plane, a human can perform much more complex missions, far more than most AI can, right now and in the near future.