Govt clears project to develop AMCA 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft

In a major development, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the project to design and develop the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft fifth generation stealth fighter jet project to be undertaken by the DRDO.

Under the around Rs 15,000 crore project, Defence Research and Development Organisation's Aeronautical Development Agency would develop the stealth fighter jet and its technologies in partnership with various private and public sector agencies and build around five prototypes in around five years, government sources told ANI.

The project would see the prototype manufactured by industry including the public sector unit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, they said.

The government has been working towards the development of indigenous technologies and the military industry.

The Defence Ministry envisages that the fifth generation aircraft project would generate lakhs of jobs and the Indian Air Force orders can generate business worth lakhs of crores for Indian entities and also generate jobs at a mass scale.

The indigenous fighter aircraft projects have received a major boost from the Indian Air Force under the Narendra Modi government as the government has ordered over 200 Light Combat Aircraft along with clearance for engines for the LCA Mark-2 project.

The AMCA is expected to start getting inducted in operational roles beyond 2030 and the first two squadrons are planned to be powered by the GE-414 engines while discussions are still on to codevelop more powerful engines for the remaining squadrons.

India is likely to induct over 200 of these powerful fifth-generation fighters and the planes would also help India to develop future generations of fighter jets within the country.