SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) might be exploring the addition of a second seat to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India’s ambitious 5.5-generation stealth fighter, specifically to control combat drones. This intriguing development was hinted at in a conversation with idrw.org, where an ADA official neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of a two-seater AMCA variant emerging in the future.
Contrary to conventional two-seat aircraft used for training or conversion purposes, the IAF has not explicitly requested a two-seater AMCA for these reasons. Instead, the discussion revolves around operational enhancements, particularly in drone management.
The integration of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) like the Ghatak with manned fighters has been a strategic vision for the AMCA for several years. The complexity of modern combat scenarios requires fighters to manage drone swarms alongside their operations, a task that could be better handled with an additional crew member.
There’s an ongoing debate on how best to manage drones from a single-seat fighter. While robust artificial intelligence could interpret pilot commands and manage drones autonomously, a dedicated Weapons System Officer (WSO) in a two-seat configuration might offer superior control and decision-making capabilities in dynamic combat situations.
Adding a second seat to a stealth aircraft like the AMCA involves significant design challenges. Stretching the aircraft to accommodate another crew member while maintaining its low-observable radar characteristics is far more complex and costly than with non-stealth designs.
Any modification would need to be meticulously engineered to ensure that the stealth profile isn’t compromised. This includes reworking the aircraft’s geometry, potentially the airframe’s materials, and internal systems layout, all while maintaining the AMCA’s performance and stealth metrics.
However, the decision to proceed with a two-seat version would hinge on the data collected, the cost-benefit analysis, and whether the strategic advantage outweighs the development and operational costs.
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