Abstract
In the last two decades, China has transformed from an importer to a producer of advanced combat aircraft. These include the J-10C multirole fighter, the J-16 strike aircraft, the Y-20 strategic airlift, the KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platform, and the J-20 stealth fighter. This transformation is the result of a well-planned national strategy, reforms in defence production, military–civil fusion, efficient programme management, and high-fidelity test setups.
India has talent, a scientific mindset, and decades of aerospace experience, yet it still struggles to accelerate the development of combat aircraft. The LCA Tejas Mk1 took over 30 years to enter service, and its successor, the LCA Mk1A, is still to be inducted. Programs such as the LCA Mk2, TEDBF, and AMCA continue to face scheduling, production, and integration challenges. While India now possesses a solid foundation—test facilities, production lines, and aerospace design and development capability—what is missing are institutional mechanisms that turn technological capability into on-time delivery.
