India has excluded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from developing its fifth-generation AMCA fighter jet. This is significant because HAL is the only company in the country with experience in developing fighter aircraft.
According to the Hindustan Times, offers submitted by HAL and two other companies were rejected during the tender process to build five prototypes and a structural tests. The reason given was non-compliance with the mandatory criteria.
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While the exact details remain undisclosed, it is known that potential contractors must be ready to deploy production capacity for the future fighter jet. At the same time, the entire process of development, prototype production, testing, and certification should not exceed eight years.
Another important detail is that if a candidate's order book exceeds three times its turnover, it receives zero points. For HAL, this ratio is eight times, which likely explains its exclusion from the tender.
At the same time, three applications remain, but the companies' names have not been disclosed. Indian Space Research Organisation is expected to announce the final winner within the next three months.
From Defense Express we would like to note that HAL's removal from the project raises many questions, as it is the only company in the country with experience in building fighter jets. It is responsible for the Tejas project, which belongs to the 4th generation and is actively being developed.
The Tejas crash at a recent air show, followed by the aircraft's exclusion from the parade, has drawn attention to problems with HAL projects. Fighter jet delivery delays are another concern, but the main problem remains obtaining engines from the U.S.
Currently, the first AMCA prototype is scheduled to take to the skies in 2029, with development continuing until 2034 and mass production beginning in 2035. The first batches will be equipped with American F414 engines, while subsequent ones will receive a local alternative, which is being developed jointly with France's Safran.
Given that the most experienced candidate in aircraft manufacturing has been excluded, the question remains as to whether the fifth-generation fighter jet can be developed on time. Delays could drive India closer to the russian Su-57, with several technologies reportedly available for it.
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