India Clears 5th Generation AMCA Fighter: NEW DELHI – In a move poised to fundamentally transform India’s aerial combat capabilities and bolster its strategic autonomy, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today officially approved the “execution model” for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program. This landmark decision greenlights the indigenous development of India’s first fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, signaling a robust commitment to self-reliance in advanced defense technology.
The approval, which follows an in-principle clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Security last year, is a pivotal moment for the Indian Air Force (IAF), which has long advocated for an advanced multi-role fighter to meet its evolving operational requirements. The AMCA is envisioned as a medium-weight, deep-penetration aircraft with cutting-edge stealth features, designed to form the backbone of India’s airpower alongside the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in the coming decades.
READ: DRDO QTRC: India Unlocks Quantum Future With Inauguration of Quantum Technology Research Centre
AMCA full scale model at Aero India 2025.
READ: Rheinmetall and Reliance Defence Forge Strategic Ammunition Partnership
“In a significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model,” stated the Ministry of Defence. Minister Singh underscored the strategic importance of the decision, calling it “an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a major milestone towards Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the aerospace sector.”
A key aspect of the newly approved model is a notable shift in procurement strategy. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the government agency responsible for aircraft design, will lead the program through extensive industry partnerships. This approach provides equal opportunities for both private and public sector companies to participate, either independently, as joint ventures, or as consortia, fostering a competitive environment and diversifying India’s defense industrial base beyond traditional state-owned entities like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The ADA is expected to issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for industry participation in the coming months.
READ: India Achieves Hypersonic Breakthrough: DRDO Tests Scramjet Combustor for Over 17 Minutes
Graphics: AMCA Programme Execution Model.
READ: India’s Adani Defence, Sparton Join Hands to Locally Produce Sonobuoys
The ambitious project carries an estimated initial development cost of approximately Rs 15,000 crore (around $1.76 billion USD). The total development cycle for the AMCA is projected to span about 10 years, with plans to manufacture five prototype aircraft in the initial phase. Officials anticipate the first flight of a prototype within five years of the cabinet approval, aiming for series production to begin by 2032-33 and induction into the IAF by 2034, with a target of acquiring 160 to 200 aircraft by 2047.
The AMCA is designed to be a 25-tonne, twin-engine aircraft, incorporating advanced stealth features that minimize its radar signature. It will boast a larger internal fuel tank with a capacity of 6.5 tonnes and an internal weapons bay for a variety of armaments, including indigenous munitions. While the initial AMCA Mk1 variant will utilize existing 90kN class engines (such as the US GE 414), the more advanced AMCA Mk2 is planned to be powered by a more potent 110kN engine, which will be developed indigenously by DRDO‘s Gas Turbine Research Establishment in collaboration with a foreign defense major.
This strategic move comes at a time when India is keenly observing the rapid advancements in airpower by its neighbors. China has already inducted its Chengdu J-20 jets, which it claims are fifth-generation air superiority fighters. The AMCA program is seen as crucial for the IAF to maintain its qualitative edge and ensure its combat capabilities are robust, particularly as its squadron strength has reportedly depleted.
India’s confidence in undertaking such a complex indigenous project has been significantly bolstered by the successful development and induction of the LCA Tejas. The AMCA program is expected to propel India into an elite group of nations capable of designing and manufacturing their own fifth-generation fighter aircraft, a club currently comprising the United States, China, and Russia. This approval marks not just a technological milestone but a profound statement of India’s growing self-reliance and strategic intent on the global stage.
READ: US Vice President JD Vance Pitches F-35 Fighters for Indian Air Force
