5th Generation Stealth Jet to Take on China’s Advance Fighter Fleet

New Delhi: In a significant push towards developing an indigenous 5th-generation fighter aircraft, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday approved the 'execution model' for the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) programme. India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability.

The aeronautical development agency (ADA) will execute - the under development fifth generation fighter jet programme - through industry partnership.

The AMCA is the country's ambitious fifth-generation fighter aircraft development programme.

The execution model approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis. This means state-owned HAL and private firms like Tata, Adani, and L&T among others too can bid for the project.

The development comes amidst reports that China has fast-tracked the delivery of its advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter jet J-35A to Pakistan due to the confrontation with India after "Operation Sindoor".

China is also developing two 6th-generation fighter jets J-36 and J-50.

India's most advanced jets, the Rafale are 4.5 generation aircraft.

The first prototype of AMCA could roll out as early as 2028-29. It could be ready for induction between 2034-2035.

Last year the Cabinet committee on Security, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had cleared the project to design and develop the fifth-generation fighter aircraft "advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA)" with advanced stealth features to make it difficult to be detected by radars.