Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is India's most ambitious military aviation project: a fifth-generation stealth fighter being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The twin-engine, multirole aircraft is designed with stealth features (radar-absorbing materials, internal weapons bays, canted tail surfaces), supercruise capability, and advanced sensors including an AESA radar and distributed aperture system.

The AMCA program was formally approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2022, with initial operational capability targeted for the early 2030s. The aircraft will be produced in two variants: Mk1 powered by GE F414 engines, and Mk2 powered by a more powerful indigenous engine being developed under a separate program. The design incorporates lessons learned from the Tejas program.

Only a handful of countries have developed fifth-generation fighters: the US (F-22, F-35), Russia (Su-57), and China (J-20, J-35). India joining this club — even with a timeline that stretches into the 2030s — would represent a significant leap in aerospace capability. The AMCA program also drives development of critical technologies: stealth materials, advanced avionics, next-generation engines, and electronic warfare systems that have applications across India's defense ecosystem.