India has formally approved the development of its first stealth fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), as part of the country’s efforts to modernize its air force and counterbalance growing threats from neighboring China and Pakistan.
The announcement, made on May 27, 2025, by India’s Ministry of Defense, comes amid heightened regional tensions and follows weeks of increased friction with Pakistan, including a recent large-scale aerial confrontation that some have called one of the most intense since the Kargil War. While a ceasefire is now in place, both nations appear to be accelerating their military buildup, particularly in drones and advanced air systems.
Strategic priorities and industrial shift
The AMCA program is considered a top priority for the Indian Air Force (IAF), whose fleet still consists of aging Russian-designed platforms. The aircraft is expected to eventually replace older jets and supplement some of India’s current frontline fighters, including the Tejas, Rafale, and Su-30MKI.
Led by a public agency affiliated with the Ministry of Defense, the AMCA program will soon enter its next phase with a formal call for tenders to begin prototype development. In a notable shift, India also intends to involve private and non-HAL public firms in the program, aiming to diversify its defense industrial base beyond Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which has faced criticism for delays in Tejas production.
India is actively seeking a foreign partner to co-develop a high-thrust engine for the AMCA, with a clear expectation that the system will eventually be produced domestically. Among the frontrunners are France’s Safran, General Electric of the United States, and Rolls-Royce of the United Kingdom.
Safran has longstanding ties with India and previously collaborated on the Kaveri engine project. Renewed negotiations have raised hopes of a possible Indo-French engine development partnership, though concrete agreements are still pending.
Fifth generation… or more?
The AMCA is expected to feature all the characteristics of a fifth-generation fighter: stealth, supermaneuverability, supercruise, advanced networking, and sensor fusion. In that regard, it aims to stand alongside the likes of the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, and Su-57 Felon.
However, as global defense giants pivot toward sixth-generation fighter programs, such as the US NGAD, Europe’s FCAS and Tempest, and likely efforts in Russia and China, India’s AMCA has found itself straddling a generational gap.
Official descriptions of the AMCA have varied over the years. Initially conceived as a fifth-generation platform, the aircraft has since been described by Indian officials, including former Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, as incorporating “sixth-generation characteristics.” These include optional manned capability, integration with unmanned loyal wingmen, swarming drones, and potentially even hypersonic weapons.
India’s interest in manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) is already visible in HAL’s Combat Air Teaming System (CATS), unveiled in 2021. The system envisions swarms of drones supporting a manned fighter in complex missions, with the AMCA potentially serving as the central command node.
Yet these features, while ambitious, are still in their infancy globally and often exist more in concept than in operational form. The AMCA may incorporate sixth-generation elements during later stages of development or through future upgrades, much like the Rafale or the F-35 are expected to integrate drone teaming capabilities eventually.
The AMCA is not expected to enter production before the late 2020s or early 2030s, and its first flight is still several years off. But its launch signals India’s determination to elevate its status as a defense innovator and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, particularly as global alignments continue to shift.
