India Fast-Tracks Fifth-Generation Stealth Jet As China And Pakistan Advance; High-Level Panel To Finalise Roadmap Soon

India is set to accelerate the development and induction of its ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)—the country’s fifth-generation stealth fighter jet—with a high-level committee working on a clear-cut strategy to bring the aircraft from the blueprint to reality, reported The Times of India.

The committee, chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, includes IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal S P Dharkar, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, and top officials from DRDO and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).

It is expected to submit its report next month, outlining a business-cum-production model that ensures efficient development and greater private sector participation.

The urgency to push AMCA forward comes amid rising security concerns in the region.

Pakistan is actively negotiating the acquisition of at least 40 J-35A stealth fighters from China, which itself has begun showcasing sixth-generation prototypes. 

Additionally, China has already deployed its Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation fighter jets at airbases close to India, such as Hotan and Shigatse.

At the same time, delays in the production of India’s fourth-generation Tejas jets by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have further underscored the need for an indigenous, cutting-edge combat aircraft. 

A senior official described the committee’s primary objective as shrinking development timelines and improving efficiency to ensure AMCA enters service swiftly.

The new committee will also evaluate the development of a 110-kilonewton thrust-class engine to power the 25-tonne twin-engine AMCA, likely through a foreign technology partnership. 

Global aerospace giants, including General Electric (USA), Safran (France), and Rolls-Royce (UK), are in contention for the collaboration.

This initiative follows a broader roadmap for IAF’s operational modernisation, previously drafted by another defence secretary-led panel and presented to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 3 March.

The government has already taken major steps to support the AMCA project. In March last year, the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the full-scale engineering development of five AMCA prototypes, with an initial investment exceeding Rs 15,000 crore.

Parallelly, India is also moving forward with the long-pending project to manufacture 114 4.5-generation multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) in collaboration with a foreign partner.