India Approves Production of Indigenous 5th-Gen Stealth Fighter Jet AMCA
The Indian government has approved the production model of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), the nation’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. On May 26, the Ministry of Defence announced that both public and private companies will be invited to bid for the manufacturing contract.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), under DRDO, will act as the nodal agency for the project’s execution and aircraft design. ADA is set to issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) soon to initiate the production process.
The announcement has had a positive impact on the market, with shares of companies in the defense and related sectors rising by nearly 6%. The Nifty India Defence Index also touched a 52-week high of 8,674.05.
The AMCA will be superior to existing Indian Air Force fighter aircraft and equipped with advanced stealth technology to evade enemy radar. It is expected to match or exceed the capabilities of other globally deployed fifth-generation stealth jets.
This will be India’s second indigenously developed fighter aircraft after the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Advanced versions like Tejas Mark-1A are also under development. The AMCA is expected to be operationally available for the Indian Air Force and Navy by 2035.