• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has cleared the execution model to design and produce Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) — India’s ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

• India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability.

• AMCA along with the Tejas light combat aircraft are planned to be the mainstays of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

• AMCA will be developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in cooperation with industry partners.

• The initial development cost of the project has been estimated at around Rs 15,000 crore.

• The IAF, at present, does not have a fifth-generation fighter jet.

• The IAF has been pushing for the AMCA project in view of its long-term requirement.

• The Cabinet Committee on Security led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given in-principle approval to the fighter jet programme in 2024.

• The “execution model” approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on competitive basis.

• They can bid either independently or as joint venture or as consortia. The entity/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 major milestone towards self-reliance in the aerospace sector.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)