India approves full development of fifth generation fighter jet

The Indian Cabinet Committee on Security has given the green light to continue development of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft under the AMCA programme.

Here's What We Know

Earlier this month, the committee allocated a project of 150 trillion rupees ($1.8 billion) for the complete design, development, testing and certification of the twin-engine AMCA. Five prototypes are expected to be built, with the first flight taking place in 2028.

To achieve this relatively short timeframe, a production line will be set up at Hindustan Aeronautics in the coming months. The Indian Air Force has previously stated that it needs seven squadrons (100 to 170 units) of these fighters.

The country's government has not yet officially announced when the aircraft will begin full production, but Indian media reports suggest 2035.

The attempt to abandon Russian technology has been going on for decades. For example, India has been developing its own fourth-generation Tejas fighter jet for a long time. The work began in 1983 to replace the MiG-21, the project was approved in 1990, the first flight took place in 2001, and it was commissioned only in 2015. New Delhi was able to produce about fifty Tejas, but while they were developing it, the aircraft became outdated, so now they are working on modernising it.

Source: Defence News