SOURCE: AFI
In a series of heartening updates, Air Marshal (Retd.) R.K.S. Rajkumar recently shared detailed insights into the development of India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), signaling significant strides toward self-reliance in aerospace technology. The updates, posted on X by@shiv_cybersurg on February 22, 2025, come straight from Rajkumar—a highly credible source—offering a rare glimpse into the ongoing work at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
Rajkumar’s revelations follow his visits to HAL’s facilities, where he witnessed firsthand the progress on these flagship programs. His comments were sparked by an article in The Times of India by AVM (Retd.) Manmohan Bahadur, who discussed the implications of a potential U.S. offer of the F-35 stealth fighter to India. Bahadur concluded his piece with a call for the Government of India (GOI) to push HAL to deliver on the LCA Mk 2 and AMCA projects—a sentiment Rajkumar echoed while adding fresh details to bolster confidence in India’s indigenous efforts.
On January 30, 2025, Rajkumar addressed personnel at HAL’s fixed-wing design bureau in Bengaluru. Following his talk, he toured the LCA Mk 2 manufacturing line, where he observed notable advancements. “All parts are being built on jigs using CATIA 5 software,” he noted, highlighting the use of modern computer-aided design tools. Workers were seen referencing screens to execute precise assembly tasks, a leap forward in production efficiency. The airframe, featuring a significant proportion of composite materials, boasts a finish “an order of magnitude better” than that of the LCA Mk 1, reflecting improved craftsmanship and stealth-oriented design.
The timeline shared by HAL is equally promising. The team aims to begin equipping the airframe with Line Replaceable Units (LRUs)—critical avionics and systems—by September or October 2025. Ground runs are slated for April 2026, paving the way for the first flight later that year. Rajkumar also experienced the LCA Mk 2 simulator, flying it with a side-stick controller. The cockpit features a single, large, customizable screen display, offering pilots flexibility in managing mission data. The flight control computer is ready and undergoing qualification, while nearly all hydraulic actuators—now indigenized—have completed flight testing, boosting the program’s indigenous content significantly.
On February 11, 2025, Rajkumar visited HAL’s Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC), where he was shown a full-scale, all-composite airframe of the AMCA—India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter. This milestone underscores the program’s shift from conceptualization to tangible progress. Following this unveiling, extensive Radar Cross Section (RCS) measurement tests are planned to refine the aircraft’s stealth signature to the lowest possible level, a critical factor for its survivability in contested airspace. The use of composites and advanced design techniques positions the AMCA as a contender among global stealth platforms.
Rajkumar described both visits as “heartening,” emphasizing that India is “moving in the right direction” in its pursuit of aerospace autonomy. The LCA Mk 2, with its enhanced stealth (frontal RCS reduced to one-fourth of the Mk 1’s), greater payload capacity, and GE F414 engine, is set to replace aging IAF fighters like the MiG-21. Meanwhile, the AMCA aims to bring fifth-generation capabilities—stealth, supercruise, and sensor fusion—to India’s arsenal, reducing dependence on foreign platforms like the proposed F-35.
However, Rajkumar urged a redoubling of efforts to achieve “true self-reliance,” a nod to the challenges ahead. Delays in engine supply and funding have historically slowed these programs, and HAL’s production capacity—while ramping up to a potential 24 aircraft annually—must meet ambitious deadlines. The GOI’s ?10,000 crore sanction for the LCA Mk 2 in 2022 and the AMCA’s projected first flight by 2028-29 reflect commitment, but execution remains key.
NOTE: AFI is a proud outsourced content creator partner of IDRW.ORG. All content created by AFI is the sole property of AFI and is protected by copyright. AFI takes copyright infringement seriously and will pursue all legal options available to protect its content.