New Delhi: India plans to develop five prototypes of the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet — the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) — before undertaking its series production.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed this on Thursday.
“Under the AMCA project, the plan is to develop five prototypes, which will be followed by series production,” he said.
“It is a key milepost in the history of the Make-in-India programme,” he said.
The defence minister made the remarks while delivering a lecture at the CII Business Summit.
The defence ministry has cleared the “execution model” to design and produce the stealth fighter jet by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in partnership with the private sector.
India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability.
AMCA along with the Tejas light combat aircraft are planned to be the mainstays of the Indian Air Force.
“Make-in-India is an essential component in our national security and it played a key role in India’s effective action against terrorism during Operation Sindoor,” Singh said.
The defence minister emphasised that through the AMCA “execution model”, the private sector will get an opportunity to participate in a mega defence project along with public sector companies for the first time.
The Cabinet Committee on Security led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given in-principle approval to the fighter jet programme last year.
The initial development cost of the project has been estimated at around Rs 15,000 crore.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been pushing for the AMCA project in view of its long-term requirement.
India’s confidence in the development of the AMCA saw a significant jump after the development of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
Manufactured by state-run aerospace behemoth HAL, the Tejas aircraft is a potent platform for air combat and offensive air support missions, while reconnaissance and anti-ship operations are its secondary roles.
The IAF, at present, does not have a fifth-generation fighter jet.
China already has Chengdu J-20 jets that it claimed to be a fifth-generation air superiority fighter with precision strike capability.
The IAF is also in the process of procuring 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).
In April 2019, the IAF issued an RFI (Request for Information), or initial tender, to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around USD 18 billion. It was billed as one of the world’s biggest military procurement programmes in recent years.
