PUBLISHED on August 7, 2025, 08:03 AM EST – Key Points and Summary – India is committed to developing its own fifth-generation stealth fighter, the AMCA, to modernize its aging air force and counter the growing capabilities of China and Pakistan.
-Formally approved in 2024, the AMCA is an ambitious twin-engine stealth jet projected to feature AI, sensor fusion, and manned-unmanned teaming, with a first flight planned for 2028.
-However, the program faces significant hurdles. India’s defense industrial base has little experience in advanced aerospace engineering, and domestic jet engine development remains a major bottleneck, casting doubt on the ambitious production timeline.
AMCA: Why India Will Pass on Su-57 Felon and F-35
The AMCA program is India’s attempt at a domestically produced fifth-generation stealth fighter. The program was created to modernize the Indian Air Force’s rapidly aging fleet of fourth-generation fighters.
Despite attempts by other states to market their stealth fighters, India has remained committed to producing its fighter.
However, the problem is that India’s industrial base is still behind in terms of quantity and quality.
Unlike the U.S. and China, India has little experience in the realm of advanced aerospace engineering.
Why India Needs a Fifth-Generation Fighter
Both the U.S. and Russia have attempted to sell their fifth-generation stealth fighters to India, but to date, their efforts have been unsuccessful.
The U.S. offered to sell the F-35 to India, but it was turned down. Russia, for its part, marketed the Su-57 Felon to India and offered to give full control of the fighters to India, allowing domestic upgrades and modifications.
This deal is still on the table for India, but it has stated multiple times that it is primarily focused on producing its own domestic stealth fighter.
All of this is well and good, except that India’s Air Force is starting to lag significantly behind its neighbors. In the North, China’s aerospace industry has advanced astronomically, with its native J-20 stealth fighter in full production and the J-35 expected to follow suit shortly.
To the West, Pakistan has been modernizing its Air Force significantly, mainly thanks to China’s assistance.
Earlier this year, reports emerged that Pakistan was considering procuring the J-35 from China, which, if true, would give Pakistan’s Air Force a significant advantage over India’s. All this to say, India needs an advanced stealth fighter sooner rather than later.
The AMCA Program
Enter the AMCA program.
The AMCA began around 2010-2014 with a series of feasibility studies conducted by the IAF. These studies laid the groundwork for a more detailed design phase that spanned nearly a decade. In March 2024, the Indian government’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) formally approved the program, allocating a development budget of ₹15,000 crore, which is approximately $1.8 billion USD.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is leading the project, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and private sector partners playing key roles in its execution.
The AMCA is envisioned as a twin-engine, single-seat, all-weather stealth fighter. It is intended to replace aging aircraft such as the MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, and eventually supplement or succeed the Su-30MKI as the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The aircraft’s design features a tailless, diamond-shaped airframe optimized for stealth.
It incorporates advanced technologies such as S-shaped air intakes to reduce radar visibility, internal weapons bays capable of carrying up to 1,500 kilograms of munitions, and composite materials with radar-absorbent coatings. The diverterless supersonic intakes further enhance its stealth profile.
Expected Performance
In terms of performance, the AMCA is projected to reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.15 and a combat range of approximately 1,620 kilometers. It will operate at a service ceiling of 20,000 meters, or about 65,000 feet.
The aircraft is designed to carry a total payload of 7,000 kilograms, both internally and externally. The avionics suite will include artificial intelligence-assisted piloting, sensor fusion, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and an Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) system. The AMCA is also designed to operate in tandem with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), reflecting the growing importance of manned-unmanned teaming in modern warfare.
The development timeline for the AMCA is ambitious but well-structured. Following the CCS approval in 2024, the program entered the prototype development phase.
The first prototype is expected to roll out between 2026 and 2027, with the first flight planned for 2028. Certification is targeted for 2032, and mass production is anticipated to begin around 2034 or 2035. Five prototypes are planned, each costing around ₹1,000 crore (around $100 million USD). The first three will focus on flight testing, while the remaining two will be used for weapons integration and systems validation.
Is India Ready to Produce Stealth Fighters?
Despite its promise, the AMCA program faces several challenges. Unlike China, which has spent decades developing its aerospace industry, India has relied on imports since the Cold War. Only recently has India begun pursuing its policy of domestic production, and it is now evident that India lacks the necessary experience to produce an advanced stealth fighter.
Engine development remains a bottleneck, as India has yet to produce a fully indigenous engine suitable for fifth-generation fighters.
Furthermore, Funding and bureaucratic delays have historically slowed progress in defense projects. Negotiating favorable terms with foreign partners for technology transfer is a complex and time-consuming process.
However, the program has gained significant momentum since 2024, with strong political backing and a clear roadmap. If executed efficiently, the AMCA could be inducted by 2034–35, with over 200 units planned for the IAF.
A naval variant is also being considered, which would further enhance its strategic utility.
About the Author:
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
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