New Delhi/Beijing: India is moving steadily in the race for aerial dominance, but the path is tangled in old files and hard decisions. Across the Himalayas, China has already moved far ahead. It is building sixth-generation fighter jets. Its fifth-generation J-20 stealth aircraft is already deployed near India’s borders.
On its part, India is now accelerating work on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation stealth fighter being built indigenously. But questions persist inside Delhi’s decision rooms. Should India buy America’s F-35s or Russia’s Su-57s as a stopgap until AMCA is ready? Can India afford to wait while China places advanced jets closer to Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh?
The future of air combat is not what it used to be. Dogfights are being redefined by AI-assisted maneuvers, stealth coatings and sensor fusion. China’s sixth-generation aircraft programme is already shaping future strategies, while India still deals with delays.
AMCA might become outdated by the time it rolls out. A proposed AMCA Mk2 aims to match sixth-generation specs, but such leaps are easier drafted than delivered.
China created a balance. It bought fewer jets but built its own steadily.
A Parallel Beginning, Two Different Trajectories
Both India and China began building their air forces in the 1950s. Neither had fighter manufacturing experience. Both looked toward the Soviets and the West for blueprints and engines. India launched the HF-24 Marut project in the 1960s. Designed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with help from German engineer Kurt Tank, it aimed to be India’s first supersonic jet. It failed.
The Marut could not break Mach 1.2. It lacked a powerful engine, and talks with Western suppliers broke down. Wars with China in 1962 and Pakistan in 1965 drained resources. The project received limited funding. Eventually, only 147 aircraft were built. The plan was shelved by the early 1980s.
Meanwhile, China took another path. It imported Soviet MiGs but did not stop there. It reverse-engineered them. A copy of the MiG-19, the J-6 became China’s early leap. By the mid-1960s, China had started producing over 4,000 units.
India’s Long Journey with LCA and HAL Tejas
India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme began in 1983. It manufactured Tejas. The journey took nearly four decades. The first flight was in 2001. Initial operational clearance came only in 2020. Delays came from design changes, engine dependencies and institutional hurdles.
The HAL lacked full control over components. Indigenous engine development, the Kaveri programme, was initiated in 1986, but still has not delivered an operational engine.
China, in the same period, procured Russian Su-27s and Su-30s. It copied them. The J-11 and J-16 came next, each with advanced avionics, radar and Chinese-made engines.
In 2017, Beijing inducted the J-20, its fifth-generation stealth fighter. It poured billions into engine R&D, failing at first but persisting. India, on the other hand, stayed stuck in paperwork.
The China Factor and India’s Crossroads
By now, China is already flight-testing prototypes of sixth-generation fighters. India is still preparing a fifth-gen rollout. Experts warn that by the time AMCA enters service, its adversaries may have moved on. Still, there is hope.
India has begun addressing key gaps. It has opened defence to private players, approved new budget lines and streamlined procurement. But speed remains critical. The R&D cannot be treated as a routine department file. It must be a national mission.
India’s choices in the next five years will decide its air power trajectory for the next 30. The skies are still open but not for long.
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