https://sputniknews.in/20250215/reasons-behind-indian-navys-pursuit-of-5th-gen-deck-based-fighter-aircraft-8772956.html
Reasons Behind Indian Navy's Pursuit of 5th-Gen Deck-Based Fighter Aircraft
Reasons Behind Indian Navy's Pursuit of 5th-Gen Deck-Based Fighter Aircraft
Sputnik India
Earlier this week, the Indian Navy unveiled a roadmap for naval aviation, including the induction of a fifth-generation deck-based fighter jet. Sputnik India... 15.02.2025, Sputnik India
2025-02-15T19:41+0530
2025-02-15T19:41+0530
2025-02-15T19:41+0530
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A fifth-generation fighter would not only enhance the Indian Navy's air dominance and strike capabilities but also improve interoperability with other branches of the Indian Armed Forces. Experts emphasize that it would provide a decisive edge in monitoring critical sea lanes, ensuring maritime trade security, and safeguarding India's economic interests in the region.Such a capability would significantly bolster India's power projection and reinforce its role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), enhancing its influence over a vast strategic area extending from the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait, Commander (Retd) Rahul Verma, a veteran of the Indian Navy, stressed.Furthermore, he highlighted how advanced avionics and AI-driven decision support systems would streamline the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop, allowing quicker tactical responses in contested environments. This rapid decision-making is crucial in maritime operations, where time-sensitive threats—such as hostile warships, submarines, or aerial intrusions—demand swift and decisive action. By operating within a networked battlespace, a fifth-generation naval fighter would act as both a force multiplier and a key enabler of distributed lethality, ensuring India’s maritime forces maintain dominance over the IOR’s air and sea domains, Verma asserted.Meanwhile, naval historian and co-author of The Indian Navy @75: Reminiscing the Voyage, Aritra Banerjee, emphasized that a fifth-generation deck-based fighter is critical for the Indian Navy to maintain technological parity in an evolving maritime battlespace.Given the vast operational area of the IOR, such an aircraft would significantly improve the Navy's ability to respond swiftly to contingencies, conduct long-range strike missions, and integrate with network-centric warfare systems — ensuring India remains a dominant maritime force, Banerjee added.Interestingly, India is already developing an indigenous 5.5-generation stealth fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), for the Air Force. Analysts believe this program could directly benefit India’s pursuit of a fifth-generation naval fighter.Developing a common airframe and systems architecture for both air force and naval variants would enable cost-effective production, streamlined maintenance, and logistical efficiency. This approach would also enhance interoperability within the Indian military’s joint operational framework, ensuring seamless integration across different forces, Verma explained.A key enabler of India's fifth-generation fighter vision is the synergy between government organizations and private industry. By combining the agility and innovation of private firms with the strategic vision and resources of public-sector giants like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and DRDO, India can accelerate development, enhance technological sophistication, and boost defense self-reliance, he suggested.Public-private partnerships would introduce advanced manufacturing practices, cutting-edge R&D, and streamlined supply chain management, ensuring that India's fifth-generation fighter program remains globally competitive. This collaboration would also drive knowledge transfer, skill development, and the creation of high-tech jobs, strengthening India's defense industrial ecosystem, he added.Emphasizing that the AMCA program is equipping India with critical expertise in stealth, avionics, and fighter jet design, which will be instrumental in shaping a future naval variant. Indigenous advancements in radar-evading technology, engine development, and sensor fusion will create a technological foundation for carrier operations, Banerjee said, echoing this view.While naval fighters require specific modifications for carrier-based operations, the AMCA’s development will significantly cut down the timeline and technical risks involved in building a deck-based stealth fighter for the Indian Navy, Banerjee concluded.
https://sputniknews.in/20250210/india-to-boost-production-export-of-military-equipment-in-coming-years-mod-8757178.html
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Reasons Behind Indian Navy's Pursuit of 5th-Gen Deck-Based Fighter Aircraft
Earlier this week, the Indian Navy unveiled a roadmap for naval aviation, including the induction of a fifth-generation deck-based fighter jet. Sputnik India analyzes why such an aircraft has become a necessity for the country's maritime force.
A fifth-generation fighter would not only enhance the Indian Navy's air dominance and strike capabilities but also improve interoperability with other branches of the Indian Armed Forces. Experts emphasize that it would provide a decisive edge in monitoring critical sea lanes, ensuring maritime trade security, and safeguarding India's economic interests in the region.
Such a capability would significantly bolster India's power projection and reinforce its role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), enhancing its influence over a vast strategic area extending from the Persian Gulf to the Malacca Strait, Commander (Retd) Rahul Verma, a veteran of the Indian Navy, stressed.
"One of the most significant advantages of a fifth-generation fighter is its ability to reduce the sensor-to-shooter cycle, allowing faster target acquisition and engagement. When integrated into a network-centric warfare environment alongside platforms like the MQ-9B Sea Guardian and P-8I Poseidon, the fighter can leverage real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data for precision strikes. The seamless data-sharing among these assets significantly enhances maritime domain awareness and targeting capabilities," Verma told Sputnik India on Friday.
Furthermore, he highlighted how advanced avionics and AI-driven decision support systems would streamline the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop, allowing quicker tactical
responses in contested environments. This rapid decision-making is crucial in maritime operations, where time-sensitive threats—such as hostile warships, submarines, or aerial intrusions—demand swift and decisive action.
By operating within a networked battlespace, a fifth-generation naval fighter would act as both a force multiplier and a key enabler of distributed lethality, ensuring India’s maritime forces maintain dominance over the IOR’s air and sea domains, Verma asserted.
Meanwhile, naval historian and co-author of The Indian Navy @75: Reminiscing the Voyage, Aritra Banerjee, emphasized that a fifth-generation deck-based fighter is critical for the Indian Navy to maintain technological parity in an evolving maritime battlespace.
"With the increasing presence of advanced carrier-based aircraft in the Indo-Pacific, a next-generation fighter will enhance India's ability to project power, enforce sea control, and counter emerging threats," he said in a conversation with Sputnik India.
Given the vast operational area of the IOR, such an aircraft would significantly improve the Navy's ability to respond swiftly to contingencies, conduct long-range strike missions, and integrate with network-centric warfare systems — ensuring India remains a dominant maritime force, Banerjee added.
Interestingly, India is already developing an indigenous 5.5-generation stealth fighter jet, the
Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), for the Air Force. Analysts believe this program could directly benefit India’s pursuit of a fifth-generation naval fighter.
Developing a common airframe and systems architecture for both air force and naval variants would enable cost-effective
production, streamlined maintenance, and logistical efficiency. This approach would also enhance interoperability within the Indian military’s joint operational framework, ensuring seamless integration across different forces, Verma explained.
A key enabler of India's fifth-generation fighter vision is the synergy between government organizations and private industry. By combining the agility and innovation of private firms with the strategic vision and resources of public-sector giants like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and DRDO, India can accelerate development, enhance technological sophistication, and boost defense self-reliance, he suggested.
Public-private partnerships would introduce advanced manufacturing practices, cutting-edge R&D, and streamlined supply chain management, ensuring that India's fifth-generation fighter program remains globally competitive. This collaboration would also drive knowledge transfer, skill development, and the creation of high-tech jobs, strengthening India's defense industrial ecosystem, he added.
"In the long term, the AMCA program will foster a robust defense industrial ecosystem in India, supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). This strategic investment would not only enhance India's maritime defense posture but also contribute to its emergence as a regional aerospace power, capable of meeting future security challenges in the IOR and beyond," the defence analyst underscored.
Emphasizing that the AMCA program is equipping India with critical expertise in stealth, avionics, and fighter jet design, which will be instrumental in shaping a future naval variant. Indigenous advancements in radar-evading technology, engine development, and sensor fusion will
create a technological foundation for carrier operations, Banerjee said, echoing this view.
While naval fighters require specific modifications for carrier-based operations, the AMCA’s development will significantly cut down the timeline and technical risks involved in building a deck-based stealth fighter for the Indian Navy, Banerjee concluded.
