AMCA Program Reportedly Faced Bureaucratic Scrutiny over Cost Concerns

India's highly anticipated Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, a cornerstone of the nation's defence modernization, has reportedly faced bureaucratic resistance stemming from budgetary concerns.

According to India Today media reports, the program encountered opposition when seeking approval for a budget of nearly ₹15,000 crore from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

Sources indicate that this opposition originated from multiple fronts, surprisingly including factions within the Indian Armed Forces themselves. The primary concern voiced by these groups is the program's potentially burdensome financial requirements.

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), responsible for leading the AMCA project, seems to have experienced significant bureaucratic hurdles even in the initial approval stages. The ADA submitted its proposal for CCS clearance roughly a year ago, yet extensive negotiations with Indian officials were required to gain the necessary approval.

To push for faster approval, the ADA reportedly sought intervention from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), expressing concerns that further delays could lead to the aircraft becoming obsolete before reaching fruition. This suggests a sense of urgency regarding the AMCA's timely development within the global arms race.

The report highlights Turkey's successful first flight of its TF-X stealth fighter, nicknamed "Kaan," as a potential catalyst. Sources speculate that this success may have highlighted the risk for India of falling behind nations aggressively pursuing next-generation fighter jet technology.

Though it remains unconfirmed whether the Kaan's first flight directly influenced the CCS's ultimate decision-making, reports suggest a combination of the ADA's persistence in addressing concerns and the heightened sense of international competition may contribute to the program's eventual approval.

 

[Pad UwU]

Not really my friend not everybody is your enemy if they have a different opinion. Even i oppose AMCA. It's too late to start a 5th gen program. Scrap it and work on developing a 6th gen jet. Having is a vision for the future is more important than being a atmanirbhar at a one generation old jet. Bas worldclass worldclass airforce bolne se koi bhi airforce worldclass nahi banjaati. It requires vision and dedication. Either make AMCA a 6th gen jet program or scrap it. Stop importing rafale. Start importing 5th gen from outside. This would have been much better thinking.

Meh Im also with you... AMCA is so delay and late for us.... Look those trying hard Turks they are on way of designing their Kaan mk2 after testing it's prototype.... Same goes to d@@mn Koreans they are so fast... After kf21 Boramae mk1 prototype flies they are ordering 40+ of it price $65m each while now they already have mk2 of it's prototype in 2028 and production to 2030.... While our AMCA is still no where near be seen it's prototype 😹😂🤣

 

[Pad UwU]

U appear to be confused . Bharat/ ADA is rightly progressing from 4 to 4.5 to 5 to 5.5 generation fighters before jumping to 6 th generation fighters. Our main enemy is PLA that is still struggling to make a true 4.5 generation fighters called J-20. As you have suggested, Bharat has already stopped trying to acquire foreign 5th generation fighters. Acquisitions of additional Rafales in my view will hardly go beyond 36 Rafales more . Bharat is perfectly on time if it rolls AMCA in 2025-2026 and makes them ready for induction in 2030-32 . U have no other choice except to develop AMCA at faster timelines.

Bruh your confuse ADA/HAL is very too late for AMCA... They focus too much on many projects like Tejas, orca, TEDBF, AMCA and many more that's why most of the project got delayed now the MRFA procurement is like delay tooo without any exact decision until next election IMHO.... How can you see if they can develop AMCA faster when they are not working faster because of tight funding.... If we want AMCA we should spend more funding than hating other people comment that because we already see it's coming.... AMCA is so late we need another plan.... Or are you like those people malding and still coping because your ultranationalistic view got shattered by the current reality that we on the edge of loosing more our air force capabilities because of so many delay projects.... We are still luck at least HAL can deliver a very small batch of Tejas mk1a 😹😹😹

 

[Pad UwU]

They just want kick backs , want to settle in Foreign after Retirement.

I agree with that, who doesn't want to become filthy rich with those kickback's before retirement and migrate to US, France or UK and become it's citizen after milking Indian projects

 

[Pad UwU]

How can they be so stupid?? Must be named and asked to explain. What will happen to your treasury when china attacks with J20s and FC31s??

Some are stup!d , some are realistic seeing that AMCA is already a no go and Uber delay project

 

[Pad UwU]

This shows how difficult it is to throw out the anti India import lobby and deep state from the bureaucracy and the armed forces.

Nah as I see on other comments....
Those bureaucrats are some stup!d, some are realistic seeing that AMCA is a super Uber delay project and waste of money and time

 

[Pad UwU]

Rs. 15,000 crores is less than $2 billions and that is a puny amount to develop a 5th generation fighter.
Summarily fire all of those bureaucrats and put in more technocrats with MBAs in those positions.
Deny all retirement benefits to these Gaddars.

Very true bruh how can you make a 5gen wannabe aircraft with puny $2 billion... I would say they should make it $10 billion then if they scrap it that would be a big scandal by wasting money

 

[Deepak Hegde]

They just want kick backs , want to settle in Foreign after Retirement.

I see them still better than DRDO officials who already settle into retirement mode with project sanction , ongoing projects by not delivering a single project timely. At least with imported aircraft the forces get something tangible to defend the nation. With DRSO and HAL, they just deliver false promises !

 

[Pad UwU]

KF-21 is anything But 5th gen in its current iteration firstly, Secondly Lockheed is providing extensive consultation to the Koreans. The Kaan at the moment is a glorified RC Model Aircraft at best with at least a decade way from anything "5th gen standard" fruitful. Also Turkiye being a NATO member has been getting extensive consultation from BAE & other western partners. There is a reason it suddenly appeared in the World Defence Exporting Map 5 years back. So India is no way behind & India has a complete different approach in its aircraft development ideology & is also going majorly indigenous way for its program barring the engine for Mk1 & with the technology & supply chain for aircraft manufacturing maturing over the last decade for LCA, things will only get better from here.

Bureaucrats were skeptical ONLY because they are going to miss out the HUGE Kickbacks from current 5th gen manufacturers. Its a Gods blessing that India has such a Nationalist with Hindustan First Policy government at the helm for long term for the first time since its independence

We are very far behind and it's a fact.... Even we proudly says we are going soloing by making our aircraft indigenous 😹😹😹
Those others would buy a proven design than risking on a unproven not battle tested aircraft

 

[Pad UwU]

Those who opposed or delayed must be giving compulsory retirement. The MOD must be cleaned of corrupt and incompetent babus.

The replacement would be the same as those corrupt heads😹😹😹.... At first they are goody o'l shoes, until they stay longer in position they are pocketing kickback's from who can slap them oily pigs skins😋

 

[Pad UwU]

Every time, we need kick in the back for us to wakeup. The same babu are not accountable for spending millions of dollars for fgfa, for which we got zilch in return. And we have some here, advocating that what babus have done is correct. Trying to spread western narratives all in the name of logic. It took other country project for us to wakeup. When will we learn. Strength respects strength. If it was left to babu, we would never have become nuclear weapons state, since it is expensive to develop and maintain nuclear weapons.

No one spreading here Western ID!OTLOGY bruh... The real facts is AMCA is super uber delay.... If we still pursue it until 2035 prediction of manufacturing it... That aircraft is already obsolete 😹😹😹

 

[Pad UwU]

Need it be mentioned that the amount allocated to the Tejas back in the 1980s, when adjusted to 2023, amount to roughly 1 billion dollars? In contrast, AMCA is taking around 1.8 billion dollars equivalent.

These bureaucrats don't seem to understand the fact that you can't just jump to a sixth generation jet while even a 4.5th generation fighter has still not completed development. Utter morons, these bureaucrats.

You forgot France and Germany plus Spain didn't develop 5gen but they are making their own version of 6gen because Germany and Spain already tried flying 5gen while France has some basic common knowledge they would combine each of their experience....
On the other hand, Japan, Italy and UK produce some parts of f35 and operating it.... That's why they don't need to develop 5gen and just go straight 6gen because of knowledge, technology and experience what they have...

What you said contradicts the real world facts of truth bruh😺

 

[Pad UwU]

Another fake article by DRDO. These officials provided mission mode funding to Rustom, provided 1.5 billion dollars for ISE for Rafale, are providing 90% funding to L&T for FICV, and approved 500% additional budget for various delayed and failed DRDO budgets. They approved AMCA project earlier knowing this cost. IAF chief is giving daily statements on AMCA knowing this cost. They approved 6billion dollars to HAL for FGFA. But they argued about 1.8 billion dollars for this project? Pure non sense. 15 years in designing didn’t delay the project but 11 months in approval made it obsolete?

Fact is, DRDO is a lying and cheating organization. ADA has an embarrassing track record. So checking each and every word of the file became necessary. In a real competitive environment, every single person associated with ADA would have been fired if anything. But MoD gave funds from the emergency reserve for this project. That is why this article, like many others, has no specific names or sources but only vague accusations. GoI must learn narrative building from them.

Then when will the AMCA prototype can be seen flying high like butterfly???🧐🤔
If this article is fake

 

[Akshat]

Then when will the AMCA prototype can be seen flying high like butterfly???🧐🤔
If this article is fake

Does the article provide any source? That tells you the veracity of this article.

As for AMCA, ADA-HAL took 19 years from initiation to
First flight. It is going to take at least21 for mk2. Now you can guess what will happen to AMCA.

 

[Pink Panther]

Those officials do such things on the directions of foreign weapon d@l@ls.
For decades, foreign weapon d@l@ls had access in defence ministry. NDA regime blocked their way to ministry, but still they'll be in contact with several officials.
But still they failed in there objectives and amca program got approval.

Resistance must be mostly from EX and current foreign watch lovers in IAF.

 

[kumar]

No one spreading here Western ID!OTLOGY bruh... The real facts is AMCA is super uber delay.... If we still pursue it until 2035 prediction of manufacturing it... That aircraft is already obsolete 😹😹😹

We know the reasons for delay. There are too many vested interests trying to stop us from progressing anything. Please, I can recognize when western narratives are being pushed around whether subtly or overtly. The solution is not to go shopping. Even the famed apaches are being grounded. We need to work through the problem. When we have jaichands and Mir jafers, it takes that much more effort to move forward. Abandoning everything in the name of obsolescence is not the solution. Upgraded 4th gen aircraft will continue to be ordered in the future. If we abandon, then we will play right into the hands of western countries.

 

[SK]

This is meant to happen when Indian Military forces aren't aligned for a common goal.

Indian-Govt must encourage a JV b/w both IAF & IN to invest in:-

1. TEBDF (ORCA)
2. AMCA

This will insure Logistical synergy & Economy of Scales.

Indian-Navy's combat-air squadron will grow only with time & hence will require more AMCA & TEDBFs.

Whereas IAF's 42-squadron target doesn't seems suitable with the grow threat from both PAF & PLAAF. IAF may require to have a Combat strength of 60-squadrons or more to insure safety of India's territorial integrity as well as Overseas interests.

 

[RG]

Officials having knowledge of the industry cost, and technology development needs to be involved in decision making. No wonder these may be the same officiails who might have worked to say there is no money for defence. but enough for corrupt practices. Technology costs money, and it is high value addition, those who are stuck with screw driver mentality will not understand cost and benefit of technology development. That is why west is advanced, and these same people and bureaucrats would want to leave the country along with their family to move to these countries.

 

[shivkumar sinha]

Are you proposing of summary execution of those government officials??? Without trial because we just see it as treasonous act without proper evidence why they opposing to further continue AMCA???
If that's the case, wow China and other communist countries will clapping us and congratulations because we're becoming like their government 😹😹😹😹
I love our Wadafaq version of DEMOCRACY we have if that it🤭🙃

Democracy, rule of law will survive only if Bharat survives .I am of the firm view that anybody creating hurdles in the way of sensitive projects like AMCA,jet engine are traitors and deserves harsh punishment. Have u heard how some hardened criminals are eliminated in fake or real encounter? These traitors are a notch above those criminals. Then what is harm in getting rid of some of them?

 

[shivkumar sinha]

Bruh your confuse ADA/HAL is very too late for AMCA... They focus too much on many projects like Tejas, orca, TEDBF, AMCA and many more that's why most of the project got delayed now the MRFA procurement is like delay tooo without any exact decision until next election IMHO.... How can you see if they can develop AMCA faster when they are not working faster because of tight funding.... If we want AMCA we should spend more funding than hating other people comment that because we already see it's coming.... AMCA is so late we need another plan.... Or are you like those people malding and still coping because your ultranationalistic view got shattered by the current reality that we on the edge of loosing more our air force capabilities because of so many delay projects.... We are still luck at least HAL can deliver a very small batch of Tejas mk1a 😹😹😹

I differ from your view . ADA,HAL may have lot of shortcomings. There are other ways to improve their working or even to reorganize them. Private participants can be enhanced. Many of these things are already underway. But AMCA is non negotiable. This has to be done. I know there are many guys in this forum who love to completely discount DRDO ,ADA ,HAL and praise the Chinese junks that never saw any real conflict. I certainly differ from them and believe in the capabilities of our own people.

 

[SuvarPakisareHomos]

If you dont spend others will have advantage over us. Spend now...to spend less later on. Because costs will continue to rise. Get AMCA done ASAP....dont delay. Bite the bullet and get the job done. Dont listen to these losers.