Advanced Combat Aircraft Programmes Proliferating in Asia

The Asian combat aviation landscape is being redefined with advanced fighter aircraft programmes underway in the Republic of Korea (ROK), the People’s Republic of China and India.

China has stolen a lead in the arena, with a 5th gen fighter type already in service in the J-20 and over 300 already produced. Along with the new J-35, China is only the second nation in the world after the USA to induct two 5th generation fighter types into service.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is on track to deliver the KF-21 ‘Boramae’ to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) in the second half of next year. Series production has commenced. The KF-21 is a state-of-the-art 4.5-generation fighter jet with a stealth design and is expected to evolve into a manned-unmanned sixth-generation fighter jet in the future.

India is also moving ahead with its 5th gen fighter programmes in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), destined for the air force and navy respectively. At the present moment however, it appears that the KF-21 is likely to be the most exportable of new-generation fighter aircraft being developed in the region and will build on the export success of KAI’s T-50/FA-50 family.

Export Contender

The KF-21 is the result of a US$7.8 billion development effort to develop the ROK’s first indigenously developed fighter aircraft. The total development period was 10 years and 6 months. KAI inked a contract with the ROKAF in June 2024 for mass production of 20 KF-21 supersonic fighters. The KF-21 would also have benefited from a partnership with Indonesia to share 20% of programme R&D costs worth approximately US$1.3 billion, but Jakarta could not make good on its promise. Indonesia has purchased a total of 42 domestically produced aircraft, including 22 T-50i aircraft and 20 KT-1B aircraft.

KAI has estimated the total export prospects for the KF-21 across its programme lifecycle at 600-700 aircraft. The airframer is actively participating in a Polish next-generation fighter acquisition project and is also strengthening marketing activities to expand into the European market as also the also in the Middle East and Asia through Team KF-21.

In April this year, a delegation led by Commander of the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) Air Defense Command Rashed Al-Shamsi visited KAI’s headquarters and inspected major aircraft production facilities, including the KF-21. The UAE Air Force’s Air Force Warfare Center Commander Azan Al-Nuaimi also took a test flight in the KF-21. The UAEAF had expressed its interest in the KF-21 in 2023 as part of its acquisition of next-generation fighters and inquired with the Korean government about the KF-21's development status and performance.

The Polish Air Force is considering the acquisition of 32 additional fighter jets to replace its aging fighter fleet and strengthen its wartime operational capabilities, and KAI is pursuing exports of the KF-21 based on cooperation through the FA-50. Poland has emerged as a key defence market for KAI which sold 48 FA-50s for the air force in 2022. The first batch of 12 FA-50GF* aircraft were delivered within 15 months of contract signature. These aircraft are a version for the Polish Air Force replace their Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets. The remaining second batch of 36 FA-50PL (Poland) feature performance improvements to meet the specific needs of the Polish Air Force.

In June this year, KAI announced that the commander of the Polish Air Force and his delegation had visited its HQ to inspect the production site of the FA-50PL and also undertook test flights in a KF-21 prototype. The KF-21 features domestically produced key avionics equipment, including its radar and is equipped with European air-to-air weapons.

KAI began the final assembly of the first mass-produced KF-21 fighter jet in May, this year. The KF-21 began its prototype flight tests in July 2022 and has expanded its mission area and improved its perfection as a fighter jet suitable for future battlefields by successfully performing various missions such as aerial refueling and air-to-air weapon launches.

India Eyes Indigenous 5th Gen Platform

India’s attempt to deliver a 5th gen fighter aircraft into service by 2035 is being led by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which was also the design house for the Tejas light fighter. The AMCA programme was approved by India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2024. The programme is estimated to cost nearly INR 160 billion. The AMCA design phase began in December 2019 and the Critical Design Review (CDR) was concluded in December 2023. The air force could acquire up to 120 AMCAs.

The AMCA will feature a generational leap in technologies as compared to the Tejas light fighter as it will feature a futuristic cockpit with sidestick controls, stealth technologies, advanced sensors and use of sophisticated materials and advanced manufacturing technology.

The other important fighter programme, for which over INR 90 billion has been sanctioned is the development of the LCA Mk2. This new 18 tonne class fighter aircraft is slated to make its first flight in 2026. It has been designed as a multi-role, all weather supersonic aircraft with a compound Delta wing and close coupled Canard configuration. It will be able to carry 50% greater payload as compared to the Tejas Mk-1A, AT 6.5 tonne vs 4 tonne. It will also be slightly faster with a top speed of Mach 1.8.

The future AMCA/TEDBF are also to feature prototype aircraft with more powerful F414-GE-INS6 engines. The AMCA could also introduce India’s private sector into fighter manufacture with the Aeronautical Development Agency set to execute the programme through Industry partnership. This September, the Indian firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced that it had formed a strategic partnership with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to support the AMCA programme and that the consortium would participate in the Expression of Interest notice issued by Government of India’s (GoI) Aeronautical Development Agency, by way of submitting a response in the coming weeks.

“The collaboration with BEL marks a significant leap in our commitment to the modernisation of India's defence capabilities. We are honoured to be working with BEL to deliver next-generation technologies for the Indian Air Force. Both the organisations are leaders in our respective domains, and our combined efforts will play a crucial role in bolstering national security and advancing self-reliance in defence technologies,” said S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman & Managing Director, L&T. L&T will leverage its expertise in developing strategic defence and aerospace platforms, along with BEL’s experience in defence electronics and systems, to jointly contribute to India’s 5th-generation fighter aircraft.

China Races Ahead

The PRC’s V-Day military parade at Tian'anmen Square this September, showed the dramatic advances in Chinese military aviation with the public debut of the twin-seat J-20S. This twin-seat variant of the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) J-20 was first shown in public as model at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2024. As per an Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) spokesperson, “the J-20S is a heavy-duty radar-evading fighter jet with long-range operation and multifunction capabilities.”

The PLAAF’s twin-engine J-20 5th gen fighter is now being inducted in larger numbers with approximately 300 aircraft having been produced. The J-20 undertook its debut flight in January 2011 and was officially declassified in November 2016, when it staged a brief flight performance at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. It was commissioned to the PLAAF later that year, becoming the third 5th gen fighter type to enter service after the American F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

The new J-35A flew in both PLAAF and PLAN colours and is the first 5th gen type to enter service with the latter. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) announced in September, that carrier-based aircraft J-15T, J-35 and KJ-600 had successfully completed their inaugural electromagnetic catapult-assisted take-off and arrested landing trainings on the new aircraft carrier, Fujian. The J-35A has been cleared to carry air-to-air missiles such as the PL-10E, PL-15E and PL-12AE, in addition to the LD-8A anti-radiation missile.

A New Era

Asia’s dynamic fighter aircraft programs reflect a strategic push for technological self-reliance, export competitiveness, and military modernization, positioning the region at the forefront of global combat aviation innovation. While China has set a benchmark in the region, fielding two operational fifth-generation fighters—the J-20 and the J-35, the ROK’s KF-21 has strong export prospects and plans are already underway to for it to evolve into a sixth-generation system. India on the other hand will have to overcome the endemic delays that have plagued its combat aviation programmes. Delays in the AMCA’s planned entry into service date of 2035 will significantly the air force’s force modernisation plans.