Ex-IAF vice-chief Kapoor says India’s 4.5-gen Tejas may not have relevance in 2030s, country must partner with global consortiums like FCAS or GCAP for 6th-gen programme
A former Indian Air Force Vice Chief stated in a recent interview that the Tejas Mk-2, a 4.5-generation fighter expected to enter service in significant numbers only by the mid-2030s, may have limited frontline operational relevance by the time it is inducted
The assessment noted that by the 2030s, regional adversaries are expected to field more advanced platforms — China moving toward sixth-generation aircraft and Pakistan considering fifth-generation jets
The interview recommended that India pursue partnership with international sixth-generation fighter consortiums such as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), rather than developing a sixth-generation platform entirely indigenously
The comments come amid India's parallel indigenous efforts on the Tejas Mk-2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India's fifth-generation stealth fighter programme
Fighter Generations and India's Tejas Programme
Fighter aircraft are classified into "generations" based on avionics, stealth, sensor fusion and engine technology, ranging from first-generation subsonic jets to fifth/sixth-generation stealth and networked platforms. The indigenous Tejas is officially classified as a 4.5-generation aircraft — it has modern avionics and beyond-visual-range capability but lacks the low-observability (stealth) design of true fifth-generation fighters.
Key Details
- Tejas Mk1A: upgraded variant of the original Tejas Mk1, with AESA radar, EW suite and BVR missile integration; developed by HAL under the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)
- Tejas Mk-2 (Medium Weight Fighter): a larger, more powerful derivative with a GE F414 engine, intended to eventually replace the Jaguar, Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 fleets; full-scale rollout has faced repeated timeline slippage
- 4.5-generation is distinguished from 5th-generation primarily by absence of all-aspect stealth shaping and internal weapons bays
- Sukhoi-30 MKI, Rafale and Tejas together form the IAF's current frontline mix, amid a squadron strength shortfall against the sanctioned 42-squadron requirement
The critique centres on a generational relevance gap — Tejas Mk-2, though an upgrade over Mk1A, remains a 4.5-generation design that will be inducted around the same period competitors field fifth/sixth-generation aircraft.
AMCA — India's Indigenous Fifth-Generation Fighter
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is India's indigenous twin-engine, stealth, fifth-generation fighter programme, developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under DRDO, distinct from the Tejas line. It represents India's primary indigenous route to fifth-generation capability, running parallel to the Tejas Mk-2 programme referenced in the interview.
Key Details
- Full-scale engineering development began in April 2024; a 10-year roadmap targets prototype rollout by late 2026/early 2027, first flight around 2028, and induction targeted around 2034-35
- AMCA Mk1 is planned to use the US-origin GE F414 engine (the same engine family as Tejas Mk-2), with a more powerful indigenous/co-developed engine planned for the Mk2 variant
- In May 2025 the government opened AMCA development to private-sector participation alongside HAL, to accelerate execution
- AMCA is being developed with internal weapons bays and low-observable shaping for genuine stealth, unlike the 4.5-generation Tejas line
The suggestion to partner with FCAS/GCAP for a sixth-generation capability is distinct from, and comes on top of, the ongoing AMCA fifth-generation effort — underscoring the layered nature of India's fighter modernisation roadmap (Tejas Mk1A/Mk2 → AMCA → potential 6th-gen collaboration).
Global Sixth-Generation Fighter Consortiums — FCAS and GCAP
Sixth-generation fighter programmes emphasise AI-enabled autonomy, "system of systems" networked combat (manned fighter plus unmanned "loyal wingman" drones), and a shared combat cloud, going beyond the stealth-centric fifth-generation design philosophy. Major powers are pursuing these capabilities through multinational consortiums rather than solely national programmes, given the high cost of next-generation fighter development.
Key Details
- FCAS (Future Combat Air System): a joint France-Germany-Spain programme to develop a next-generation fighter with supporting drone "remote carriers" and a combat cloud, targeted for around 2040
- GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme): a joint UK-Italy-Japan programme (successor to UK's Tempest and Japan's F-X projects) targeting a next-generation fighter around 2035
- China's J-36 and J-50 are cited as early operational sixth-generation-class prototypes, incorporating AI-driven autonomy and drone-teaming concepts
- India currently has no formal participation in either FCAS or GCAP; the suggestion to join such a consortium is a policy recommendation, not a confirmed government decision
The interview's core recommendation is that India hedge against Tejas Mk-2's limited future relevance by seeking entry into an existing multinational sixth-generation consortium (FCAS or GCAP) rather than starting a costly indigenous sixth-generation programme from scratch.
- Tejas Mk-2 classification: 4.5-generation fighter; GE F414 engine; expected large-scale induction mid-2030s
- AMCA: India's indigenous 5th-generation stealth fighter; full-scale development began April 2024; prototype rollout targeted late 2026/early 2027; induction targeted around 2034-35
- FCAS: France-Germany-Spain consortium; target ~2040
- GCAP: UK-Italy-Japan consortium (successor to Tempest/F-X); target ~2035
- China's sixth-generation-class prototypes cited: J-36 and J-50
- IAF squadron strength: below the sanctioned 42-squadron requirement, a recurring concern in India's fighter modernisation debate