 "India approves building of 5th generation fighter plane AMCA, DRDO to lead project")
India has approved the construction of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), the indigenous fifth-generation fighter plane.
In a press release, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the AMCA programme execution model, which will be undertaken by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the project in March 2024.
The MoD statement read, “In a significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is set to execute the programme through Industry partnership.”
The MoD further said that the ADA will shortly issue an expression of interest (EoI) for the AMCA development phase. The approval and the EoI are the first steps towards developing the AMCA prototype.
It has been previously reported that a prototype could be rolled out within three years of the approval and the first flight could then be undertaken in a year or a year and a half after that. In its latest press release, the MoD did not give any timeline.
It has previously been reported that AMCA is envisioned to have stealth capabilities. While that would put India in the league of select nations like the United States, Russia, and China, delays and cost-overruns so far have long put the project under question.
The AMCA’s approval has come at a time when the Indian Air Force’s strength is at an all-time low. Against the sanctioned strength of 41 squadrons, the IAF essentially has 29 squadrons. At a time when India is facing an aggressive Pakistan and a bullying China, the depleting numbers of the IAF coupled with slow procurement and stalled indigenous development have long worried strategists.
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