India's indigenous fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme entered a crucial new phase on Wednesday after the defence ministry issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project to three shortlisted private sector-led consortia, defence officials told ANI.
Shortlisted Bidders
The bidders include the Larsen & Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited combine, Tata Advanced Systems, and Bharat Forge in partnership with BEML. The Execution Model approach provided equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis.
AMCA Programme Overview
The AMCA programme is regarded as India's most ambitious fighter aircraft project and is expected to form the backbone of the Indian Air Force's combat capability from the mid-2030s. Designed as a twin-engine stealth fighter, the aircraft will feature advanced sensor fusion, internal weapons bays, artificial intelligence-enabled systems and network-centric warfare capability.
Infrastructure Development
On May 15, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for a Rs 16,000-crore Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) infrastructure project in Sri Sathya Sai district. Calling it a “historic chapter in India's defence history”, Rajnath Singh said the initiative would usher in “a new era” for Andhra Pradesh. He also announced that eight drone companies would help establish a drone city in Kurnool.
The AMCA project is expected to significantly boost India's aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, create high-skilled jobs, and reduce dependency on foreign fighter aircraft. The shortlisted consortia will now submit detailed proposals, with the contract likely to be awarded later this year.
