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IAF Chief Flags Fighter Shortage As India Accelerates 5th-Gen AMCA Project
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Moneycontrol•05-10-2026, 16:22
IAF Chief Flags Fighter Shortage As India Accelerates 5th-Gen AMCA Project
- •IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh highlighted a severe fighter shortage, with the air force operating 29 squadrons against an authorized strength of 42.
- •India's indigenous fifth-generation AMCA project has entered the prototype-development phase, with the government opening the Rs 15,000 crore project to private-sector bidders.
- •The Defence Ministry has issued an RFP to private consortia including Tata Advanced Systems, an L&T-led consortium, and a Bharat Forge-led consortium, with the bidding deadline extended to October 2026.
- •The government has targeted the first prototype flight for September 2028, aiming to develop five flying prototypes and establish a dedicated testing centre in Puttaparthi.
- •The urgency of the AMCA programme is heightened by regional developments, including concerns over Pakistan's reported plans to acquire Chinese J-35 fifth-generation fighters.
Key Questions Answered
The government has set a target for the first AMCA prototype to fly by September 2028. Additionally, the request for proposal (RFP) mandates the first flight to occur within 30 months of contract signing.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh stated that state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) failed to qualify for the prototype-development phase on fairly routine technical grounds. The exclusion is part of a government initiative to establish a second fighter aircraft production line in India.
The three private-sector-led bidders shortlisted for the AMCA prototype phase are Tata Advanced Systems, an L&T-led consortium involving Bharat Electronics and Dynamatic Technologies, and a Bharat Forge-led consortium with BEML and Data Patterns.
