Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India plans to develop five prototypes of the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet – the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) – before undertaking its series production. Addressing the CII Business Summit in New Delhi, he said, 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. 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.
Defence Ministry has cleared the execution model to design and produce the stealth fighter jet by 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.
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 15,000 crore rupees. 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.
