The shortlisted firms, selected based on their technical capabilities, will compete to build prototypes  before a final production contract is awarded 	 Reuters file photo

Rajnath Singh, Rajnath

5th generation AMCA jet

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	India&#39;s first 5th-generation stealth aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), is expected to be inducted by 2035, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir V Kamat. India is among a select few nations that are developing stealth aircraft.</div>
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	Kamat has said that the 5.5-generation AMCA fighter is a stealth aircraft, adding that the DRDO has initiated the development process and the aircraft&#39;s design is already completed. According to Kamat, DRDO aim&#39;s to finish AMCA&#39;s development trials by 2034, with induction slated for 2035.</div>
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	The AMCA has also been described as a 5.5-generation fighter aircraft in several media reports and by members of India&#39;s defence establishment in the past. This means that it will incorporate some of the features that will be seen in the upcoming 6th-generation jets being developed by the United States (US) and China, which already operate 5th generation platforms.</div>

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	What is India&#39;s 5th-generation AMCA fighter?</h2>
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	The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the project to design and develop the AMCA jet on March 7, 2024.</div>
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	The AMCA is a fifth-generation, medium-weight stealth fighter jet being developed by the DRDO under a project valued at approximately Rs 15,000 crore.</div>
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	A fifth-generation fighter jet has four key attributes. First, it is stealthy, meaning it is nearly invisible to enemy radars due to its low radar cross section.</div>
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	Second, it has the capability to &quot;supercruise,&quot; allowing it to fly faster than the speed of sound without relying on fuel-intensive afterburners.</div>
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	Third, it is equipped with advanced avionics and sensors for network-centric operations. Increasingly, artificial intelligence is also being integrated to enhance the pilot-aircraft interface.</div>
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	Lastly, it should be able to outrange its adversaries by detecting and engaging targets from long distances, achieved through the use of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars.</div>
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	DRDO&#39;s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is leading the development of the stealth jet and its associated technologies, in collaboration with various private and public sector agencies.</div>
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	According to government sources cited by a March 2024 <em>ANI</em> report, around five prototypes will be built within five years.</div>
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	These prototypes will be manufactured by industry partners, including the public sector unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).</div>
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	The project clearance marks just the beginning of a long and complex technological journey.</div>
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	The first two squadrons of AMCAs are planned to be powered by GE-414 engines from American engine manufacturer GE Aerospace.</div>
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	However, discussions have been underway to co-develop more powerful engines for the subsequent squadrons.</div>
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	The Indian Air Force could eventually induct over 200 of these fighter jets.</div>
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	The AMCA project has already seen significant delays.</div>
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	According to a December 2019 <em>Business Standard</em> report, the ADA, the agency that oversees the Tejas and AMCA programmes, had targeted AMCA&#39;s first flight for 2024-25. Back then, series manufacturing of the AMCA was planned to start by 2028-29.</div>
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	Why does India need AMCA urgently?</h2>
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	India&#39;s continuing tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Beijing&#39;s growing military power are the primary reasons.</div>
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	Alongside the US and Russia, China already operates a stealth jet fleet, which it has been reportedly bolstering. Even the likes of Turkey and South Korea are ahead of India in the 5th-generation fighter race.</div>
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	Towards the end of May 2024, China reportedly deployed at least six of its Chengdu J-20, also known as Mighty Dragon, stealth fighter aircraft within 150 kilometres (km) of the Indian border in Sikkim.</div>
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	The J-20A Mighty Dragon is China&#39;s first fifth-generation fighter jet and the most advanced combat aircraft in its arsenal.</div>
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	This was also not the first instance of China deploying the J-20 near its border with India.</div>
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	For example, two J-20 fighters were reported at the Hotan airbase in China&#39;s Xinjiang region in August 2020. Located 320 km from Aksai Chin, the Hotan airbase is the closest Chinese airbase to the disputed region.</div>
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	China is also accelerating the production of its J-20 fighters. In February 2023, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported that China was outpacing the United States in the production of stealth aircraft.</div>
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	China&rsquo;s inventory of the J-20, its first fifth-generation fighter, was expected to surpass that of the US Air Force&rsquo;s F-22 Raptor in the same year.</div>
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	As of 2024, the US Air Force operates about 180 F-22 jets. Meanwhile, by February 2023, China had already produced over 150 J-20 fighters, according to the IISS.</div>
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	There are indications that China may be ramping up production even further, with some reports suggesting that China may have built its 200th J-20 aircraft by the end of 2023.</div>
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	These developments underscore the importance of successfully developing and inducting the AMCA.</div>

Everything you need to know about India's first 5th-generation stealth aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). From when AMCA will fly to all of AMCA's features and capabilities

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