India's 5th-Gen Stealth Fighter Closer To Reality, 7 Firms Make Prototype Bid

Seven Indian companies have bid to partner with the Defence Research and Development Organisation to design and develop prototypes of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft or AMCA - India's homegrown fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

Two bidders will now be shortlisted and receive Rs 15,000 crore between them to build five models of the AMCA - to the highest standards - before manufacturing rights are given.

The seven companies in the mix include Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, and Adani Defence, and their bids will be evaluated by a committee led by ex-BrahMos Aerospace chief A Sivathanu Pillai, defence officials told news agency ANI.

The committee will submit its report to the Defence Ministry.

The ministry will make the final selection, officials said.

The AMCA - the crore of Rs 2 lakh crore manufacturing project expected to produce over 125 fighter jets - is not expected to be ready for induction into the Air Force before 2035.

But, once it does, India will join an exclusive list of countries with fifth-gen fighters. As of May 2025, only the United States (F-22 and F-35), China (J-20), and Russia (Su-57) have these.

What is the AMCA?

India's first fifth-gen fighter will be a single-seat twin-engine jet with advanced stealth coatings and internal weapons bays like those on US and Russian planes - the F-22, F-35, and Su-57.

It is expected to have an operational ceiling of 55,000 feet and carry 1,500kg in weapons in internal bays, with 5,500kg more externally. The AMCA will likely carry a further 6,500kg in fuel.

NDTV Explains | Everything About AMCA, India's New 5th-Generation Stealth Fighter

Reports indicate there will be two versions; the second will, India hopes, also have an indigenously developed engine, possibly more powerful than the US-made GE F414 in the first.

Overall, this will be a supermanoeuvrable and stealthy multirole fighter jet.

But what is a 5th-gen fighter?

There is no one definition, except to say it incorporates major tech developed in the first part of the 21st century and are, without exception, the most advanced fighter jets in operation.

Key, though, is the use of superior battlefield software that gives the pilot detailed information about the battle space and enemy combatants, as well as anything to might give them an edge.

India's 5th-gen fighter project expected to cost Rs 15,000 crore. Photo: pib.gov.in

Specifically, they have innovative avionics that can network with 'friendlies' for enhanced situational awareness and C3, or 'control, command, and communications' capabilities.

Behind India's AMCA bet

The AMCA greenlight underlines India's push to modernise its military, including weapons and equipment upgrades, after recent military tension with nuclear-armed Pakistan and China.

As part of those upgrades India, in April signed a Rs 63,000 crore deal to buy 26 Rafale-M fighter jets - i.e., the marine variants - from France's Dassault Aviation. To be delivered by 2031, these will replace aging Russian MiG29Ks. The Air Force already operates 36 Rafale-C fighters.

In addition, over the past decade, India has also launched an indigenously developed and built aircraft carrier, as well as warships and submarines, and tested long-range hypersonic missiles.

But Rajnath Singh has also promised at least $100 billion in fresh domestic military hardware contracts by 2033 to spur made-in India arms production, and bolster revenue from exports.

With input from agencies

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)

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