SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
India is poised to join the elite group of nations with indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet capabilities, with the first Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) expected to be inducted by 2035. This was confirmed by Dr. Samir V Kamat, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), during a media interaction on Sunday.
Kamat acknowledged the ambitious timeline but asserted that it aligns with global benchmarks for developing cutting-edge aerospace platforms. “If you look at any programme anywhere in the world, it takes 10 to 15 years to develop a new platform,” he said. “So we have started this journey only in 2024, when the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) sanctioned the project. It will take ten years and we have committed to deliver the platform by 2035.”
The AMCA is a flagship project under India’s drive for self-reliance in defence manufacturing and is being designed to meet the future operational requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The fifth-generation fighter jet will feature stealth capabilities, advanced avionics, sensor fusion, supercruise capability, and an internal weapons bay—hallmarks of a true fifth-generation combat platform.
The project, spearheaded by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), has gained significant momentum since the CCS cleared the design and development phase earlier this year. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is expected to be the lead production agency, while a public-private joint venture is being considered for accelerated manufacturing.
The AMCA will be developed in two phases: the Mark 1 variant, powered by the American GE F414 engine, and the Mark 2 variant, which is expected to feature a more powerful, indigenously developed engine under a technology transfer agreement.
India’s entry into the fifth-generation fighter club places it alongside the United States, Russia, and China—nations that have successfully deployed advanced stealth fighters. The AMCA is also seen as a critical counterbalance to regional developments, particularly China’s deployment of the J-20 stealth fighter.
In parallel with the AMCA, India continues to bolster its fighter fleet with the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A and is progressing toward the Tejas Mk2 program, intended to replace the ageing Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fleets.
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