The Indian Air Force finds itself in a difficult position, needing both fourth-generation fighters to immediately strengthen its dwindling squadrons and fifth-generation stealth aircraft to maintain superiority against adversaries.

Both requirements are running behind schedule, leaving the service exposed. On 27 May 2026, the Defence Ministry issued Requests for Proposals to three Indian consortia—L&T-BEL-Dynamatic, TATA Advanced Systems Ltd, and Bharat Forge-BEML-Data Patterns—to build prototypes of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

One consortium will be chosen to produce the first five prototypes, with the first flight expected within 30 months of contract award. This marks only the beginning of a development cycle that could extend over a decade.

Fifth-generation fighters are designed to counter increasingly lethal ground-based air defence systems and long-range air-to-air missiles. Their stealth features make them harder to detect and target, giving them a better chance of striking first. Yet, they are not invincible.

Air power depends on satellites, sensors, and networked systems linking shooters and commanders. In dense environments with powerful radars and long-range missiles, fifth-generation aircraft provide a crucial edge but are not a panacea.

The United States pioneered fifth-generation fighters with the F-22 Raptor in 2005 and the F-35 in 2014. China followed with the J-20 in 2017, and Russia with the Su-57 in 2018. India’s program has struggled for two decades.

A joint effort with Russia in 2007 to develop the Su-57 collapsed over disagreements on technology sharing. The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), launched in 2010, became India’s sole hope. 

The AMCA promises stealth features that make a 25-ton aircraft appear tiny on radar, engines capable of supersonic flight without afterburners, internal weapons bays, and AI-driven sensor fusion to reduce pilot workload.

ADA’s roadmap envisages prototype rollout by late 2026 or early 2027, first flight in 2028, certification by 2032, and induction by 2034. The initial AMCA MK-1 squadrons will use GE-414 engines, but the real challenge lies in developing the AMCA MK-2 with a 120kN thrust-class engine, co-developed by GTRE and France’s Safran, expected in the 2030s.

Globally, fifth-generation aircraft mark a radical departure from earlier generations. China aims to field nearly 1,000 by the early 2030s, potentially surpassing the US in sheer numbers. South Korea and Turkey flew prototypes in 2025 and 2026. India could become the sixth country to develop its own fifth-generation fighter.

The AMCA also represents India’s first major fighter development program entrusted to private industry, excluding Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). This echoes the Navy’s decision in 1998 to entrust L&T with building the INS Arihant’s hull, bypassing Mazagon Docks Ltd.

The IAF has long been dissatisfied with HAL’s delays, particularly with the TEJAS program, and sought alternatives. By 2025, it was clear that AMCA prototypes would be developed by private firms. 

The IAF’s lack of confidence in HAL was publicly voiced during Aero India 2025 by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh. The Air Force had quietly inspected private sector capacities since 2018, laying the groundwork for this shift.

The AMCA program is being executed under DRDO norms, with ADA as custodian, rather than MoD procedures, allowing faster prototype development.

However, the absence of a single empowered leader is a critical flaw. Unlike the Navy’s Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project, which succeeded by placing the user service in the driver’s seat, the AMCA lacks clear accountability.

The ATV overcame immense challenges to deliver nuclear-powered submarines, energising a vast indigenous vendor base and demonstrating civil-military fusion. Its success was driven by empowered leadership, continuity, and integration of multiple stakeholders under one roof.

By contrast, the AMCA risks repeating the mistakes of the TEJAS program. Without an empowered IAF-led organisation, delays are inevitable. An ATVP-like model, headed by a three-star IAF officer with technical expertise, could coordinate DRDO, GTRE, private industry, and HAL.

Such a structure would ensure accountability and speed. The AMCA has been declared a National Mission Mode Project, but without strong leadership, its prospects remain uncertain. Further delays could push India towards importing the Russian Su-57, which President Putin offered for joint production on 6 June 2026.

The stakes extend beyond the AMCA itself. Just as the ATV project transformed India’s submarine capabilities, an IAF-driven AMCA organisation could reshape India’s aerospace sector. It could spearhead advanced jet engines, sixth-generation fighters, hypersonic aircraft, and manned-unmanned teaming projects.

With the ATV now handling multiple indigenous submarine programs worth over $50 billion, the AMCA could similarly catalyse India’s rise as a major aerospace power. For this, India needs not just technology, but a leader and a plan to steer the programme towards success.

Agencies