New Delhi [India], May 27 : The Defence Ministry on Wednesday issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the mega indigenous fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft project to the three shortlisted bidders, including Larsen and Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited, Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Forge-BEML, Defence officials stated.
India is looking towards enhancing its indigenous defence capabilities, and last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will execute the programme through an industry partnership.
The Execution Model approach provided equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis.
On May 15, this year, Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stones for the Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre at Puttaparthi to fast-track the development of Fifth-Generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and other future indigenous platforms.
The total outlay for the AMCA programme is around Rs 15,000 crore, and the Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre of Aeronautical Development Agency, an affiliate organisation of DRDO, is a vital component of the project. The facility is being established at a cost of about Rs 2,000 crore.
"Puttaparthi is set to join the exclusive league of global destinations from which a fifth-generation aircraft will take to the skies. It will become the birthplace of an aircraft capable of annihilating the enemy in the blink of an eye," stated Rajnath Singh, as per the Defence Ministry.
Meanwhile, a full-scale model of India's first 5.5 Gen stealth aircraft, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), equipped with cutting-edge features were showcased at the India Pavilion at Aero India 2025 in February 2025.
The aircraft was designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) for the use of the Indian Air Force (IAF). According to the ADA, the implementation of AI in AMCA aircraft will boost the ADA in progressing the development activities. It will also allow the AMCA aircraft to enhance operational capabilities, making AMCA one of the most advanced 5th-generation fighter aircraft among contemporary aircraft.