India invites bids for making prototype of fifth-gen fighter jet

In a key development for India’s military aviation sector, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has invited bids for making a prototype of the fifth-generation fighter jet. For the first time, a private industry can participate a project that involves a key technology development process.

The MoD said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the ‘programme execution model’ for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) through industry partnership.

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is set to execute the programme through industry partnership. The MoD said that the model provides equal opportunities to private and public sectors on competitive basis.

They can bid independently, as joint venture or as consortia. The entity or the bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country.

This is an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a milestone towards Aatmanirbharta in the aerospace sector, the MoD said.

The ADA will shortly issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the AMCA Development Phase.

In March last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had okayed the proposal to design and manufacture India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The Rs 15,000-crore project is for the design and prototype development of the aircraft that will eventually have two variants with different thrust of engines.

The Mark 1 version is expected to be powered by General Electric F414 engine 98 kilonewton engine and the second upgraded version will be powered by a 110 kilonewton engine, which is being developed.

The Indian Air force (IAF) is looking at seven squadrons — 18 planes each — of the AMCA, which includes two squadrons of the AMCA Mark 1 and rest five squadrons are to be Mark 2.

The Mark 2 will be powered by new indigenous engines for which the contenders are Safran of France, GE of the US and Rolls Royce of the UK. The AMCA will boast of the latest avionics and indigenous AESA radar, besides having the capability to carry weapons internally as well as externally.

So far, only the US, Russia and China have made fifth-generation jets. The US has the F22, Russia the Sukhoi 57 and China has the J20.