India’s Indigenous Fighter Jet: India’s Progress in Building Its Own Fighter Jet

India, one of the world’s largest importers of defence equipment, depends on the US, Russia, France, and Israel for critical military supplies. However, during Operation Sindoor, India demonstrated the growing efficiency of indigenous defence products, including the Akash SAMs, SAMAR Air Defence System, L-70 anti-aircraft guns, and the command-and-control network Akashteer.

Illustration by The Geostrata

On our way towards self-reliance, India now aims to become one of the world’s top defence exporters by 2047. For India to reach this goal in terms of air defence capabilities, it is crucial to work on fighter jets and engines for long-term strategic autonomy.

SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

There is a growing public demand in India for the government to allocate funds and revive the Kaveri Engine project, initiated in the late 1980s.

The Kaveri Engine, initially developed to power India’s Tejas fighter jets, failed to accomplish its main purpose due to delays, budget overruns, and technological limitations.

As a result, India was forced to turn to the US for their US-made GE F404 and F414 engines for the Tejas program. While the engines are reliable, they incur a high financial cost and expose India to geopolitical risks. It puts India under the insecurities of supply restrictions, sanctions, or changing bilateral relations. Kaveri Engine is not in active combat use but is being repurposed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and future indigenous programs. India has been trying to develop this technology for more than four decades.

Despite technological successes, including the BrahMos missile, the Mars mission, and nuclear submarines, we are still behind. So, where is India lagging? Unlike missile or space missions, fighter jets must be flawless under extreme conditions at all times, and developing this kind of technology takes time. Whereas India’s success with nuclear submarines is a product of spiral development that matured gradually, building up capability with time. We developed the technology with slow gains and continued working on it.

The Kaveri Project needs the same approach, and we are halfway through. The engine is already being used in Ghatak UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) - an indigenous, stealthy unmanned combat aircraft, formerly known as AURA, along with High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) UAVs. Furthermore, the engine is also used to test models and experiments to improve certain parts like turbine blades, heat-resistant materials, and control systems.

COMPLEXITIES OF DEVELOPING FIGHTER JET ENGINES

One of the core issues in developing India's indigenous fighter jet engine is its complex technology. The engine requires extremely high temperatures (up to 1800 °C) and spins at very high speeds. To work in these conditions, the engines rely on advanced materials that are both strong and lightweight. Another hurdle is the lack of technology transfer from the nations that already have it. Jet engine technology is the crown jewel of aerospace R&D, providing a strategic advantage and military superiority to the nations. India is considering valuable defence ties to assist and share jet engine technology through joint ventures.

While France and Russia are long-term defence partners of India, we are also expecting certain assistance from other nations, including the US, the UK, and Japan.

However, these nations remain hesitant in sharing this technology completely, due to several concerns, including the protection of intellectual property, reverse engineering, and re-export risks.

Given this, India is planning a hybrid approach: to rely primarily on indigenous developments, while seeking consultancy in turbine materials, control systems, and blade design assistance from these nations. Developing an in-house engine will not just ensure defence autonomy but will limit our dependence on heavy defence imports. The success of projects like the Kaveri and the AMCA (India’s first 5^th generation fighter jet) seems promising to secure India’s place among the world’s leading aerospace powers.

ROLE OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLAYERS

The government of India is planning to diversify the manufacturing of fighter jets by involving public and private partnerships, moving beyond its sole dependence on Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

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As a Defence Ministry undertaking, HAL has remained the only firm to manufacture the bulk of India’s military aviation programs. This has resulted in untimely deliveries and production delays, including the LCA Tejas Mk1A, the upcoming Tejas Mk2, multiple indigenous helicopter programs, and potential upgrades and additional orders for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet.

Thus, the Indian Air Force has shown interest in welcoming diverse supply bases and engaging private players like Tata Advanced Systems and L&T in major defence projects.

Further, Operation Sindoor has created the space for the expansion of India’s air power, which demonstrated India’s prowess in air dominance. It showcased a shift in India’s defence approach and highlighted the limitations of relying solely on HAL to meet defence needs. Thus, we need more players, including private and public entities, to develop the fighter jets.

CONCLUSION

The dream of an indigenous 5^th-generation fighter jet, AMCA, is still a decade away, with its induction expected by 2035. Whereas, the Indian Air Force needs to induct 40-50 fighter jets every year to maintain the 31 squadron numbers. All the MiG-29s, MiG-21s, Jaguars, and most of the Mirages are set to retire within the next ten years. The issue is of great concern with the increase in threats from both Pakistan and China.

Given the security concerns from both fronts, the Indian Air Force has projected a requirement of 60 squadron fighter aircraft by 2047 to at least attain a 40-45 squadron requirement.

Considering the ground-based air defence system has become more sophisticated with the advent of S400 and HQ9 systems, these fighter jets will have to stay ahead of them. Thus, Pakistan’s focus is mainly on the 5^th-generation fighter aircraft for its stealth.

Meanwhile, nations like the US, Russia, and China that hold dominance in the arms market often play a significant role in providing arms support to India and Pakistan, along with other nations, to modernise their defence sectors.

However, these nations make sure that the rest of the world remains reliant on their technology and expertise, often being cautious and hesitant in providing support for fully indigenous programs that describe the complexities of defence trade, national security, and the strategic national interests.

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BY NEHAL SHARMA

CENTRE FOR DIPLOMACY AND INNOVATION

TEAM GEOSTRATA

info@thegeostrata.com