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In March 2024, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security approved the project to design and develop the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft more popularly known as AMCA as a fifth-generation, medium weight low observable fighter jet.
To be designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) that functions as a Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) arm, the government had allocated Rs 15,000 crore as initial funding with more money to be provided as and when required.
On Tuesday Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model. The ADA is set to execute the programme through Industry partnership.
The Execution Model approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently or as joint ventures or as consortia. The entity/bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) press note said. It added, ADA will shortly issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the AMCA Development Phase.
The aircraft is supposed to propel India into a select group of nations that have or are developing 5th generation fighter jets, based on futuristic technology in partnership with various private and public sector agencies.
It is designed as a medium weight, multi-role fighter jet with advanced features such as enhanced sensor fusion, advanced work material, advanced communication system that is difficult to intercept, edge computing capability in mission computers, leading to enhanced and faster situation awareness, reduced cockpit workload for pilots.
To understand the significance of the decision, Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale spoke to Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani (Retd), Director General of the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS).
