NEW DELHI : India has moved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme into its next phase after the Ministry of Defence shortlisted three industrial consortiums for further participation in the country’s fifth-generation stealth fighter project.
The development was confirmed by Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Defence, who said the shortlist followed a detailed pre-qualification process that began with seven competing aerospace and defence consortiums. The three selected bidders will receive the formal Request for Proposal (RFP) within the next two to three months.
The AMCA programme received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in March 2024, with an allocation of about ₹15,000 crore for prototype development. The project is being implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) model that brings together the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and its Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), along with an Indian production partner from the public or private sector.
Officials indicated that the original pool of bidders included established domestic aerospace manufacturers such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Tata Advanced Systems, and Adani Defence. The government has not yet disclosed the identities of the three shortlisted consortiums.
Once the RFP is issued, the selected development partner will be responsible for building five AMCA Mark-1 prototypes. The first prototype rollout is currently planned for the 2028–2029 timeframe. The aircraft is designed as a 25-tonne, twin-engine stealth platform with internal weapons bays, advanced avionics, sensor fusion, and reduced radar cross-section features. The Mark-1 variant will be powered by the GE F414 engine, while a higher-thrust indigenous engine is planned for the Mark-2 version, which remains under development discussions.
According to defence officials, the transition to the industrial development phase marks a key milestone for the programme. The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to induct the AMCA in the mid-2030s as part of its long-term force modernisation roadmap, alongside existing fourth- and fifth-generation combat aircraft.
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