The Indian Ministry of Defence has approved the execution model for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, allowing both public and private Indian companies to participate through a competitive bidding process. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will implement the programme through an industry partnership model.
According to the approved model, Indian companies may submit bids independently, as part of a joint venture, or in consortia. All participating entities must comply with Indian laws and regulations. The Ministry stated that the objective is to develop the AMCA prototype by leveraging domestic expertise and manufacturing capacity.
The ADA is expected to issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the AMCA development phase shortly.
In March 2024, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) design and development programme. The AMCA is a 25-tonne twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft being developed under the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
The design phase of the aircraft is reportedly complete. The rollout of the first prototype is expected by 2028–2029, with the first flight targeted for late 2028. Production is anticipated to begin between 2032 and 2033, and the aircraft is aimed for induction into service by 2034–2035. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir V Kamat has confirmed a delivery timeline of 2035.
The initial AMCA Mk1 variant will be powered by the General Electric F-414 engine. A licence production agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is currently under negotiation. For the subsequent AMCA Mk2 version, a more powerful 110-kilonewton engine is planned to be co-developed with a foreign partner. Discussions are ongoing with potential collaborators, including Safran, General Electric and Rolls-Royce.
The AMCA is being developed as a twin-engine, multirole, all-weather stealth aircraft. It will include features such as an internal weapons bay capable of carrying 1,500 kg of payload and 5,500 kg of external payload. It will incorporate diverterless supersonic air intake and be equipped with advanced systems, including Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, sensor fusion, a smart cockpit, and integrated decision aids.
The aircraft is expected to have supercruise capability, enabling sustained supersonic flight without afterburners. It will also support manned-unmanned teaming with unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).
The indigenous content of the AMCA is projected to begin at 75 percent, with the aim of increasing to 85 percent in future production phases. A full-scale engineering model of the aircraft was showcased during Aero India 2025.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) functions under the Department of Defence R&D of India’s Ministry of Defence and is responsible for the design and development of combat aircraft.