India to build AMCA jet engine with France's Safran, says Rajnath
The Defence Minister stated that India is taking steps to indigenously manufacture the engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday (August 23) said that the production of the engine of India’s proposed fifth-generation radar-evading stealth fighter, known as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), will soon begin in collaboration with French company Safran.
Speaking at an event, Singh said India has taken major steps towards building its fifth-generation stealth fighter and will manufacture the engine of the aircraft in the country itself.
"Today, we have also taken steps forward in the direction of building Fifth Generation fighter aircraft. We have also moved towards manufacturing the aircraft's engine in India itself. We are about to start engine manufacturing work in India with the French company Safran," said Singh as quoted by NDTV.
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Lauds LCA Tejas
The Defence Minister also said that India has achieved major breakthroughs in indigenous defence capability, especially with the home-made Tejas light combat aircraft.
Lauding the Tejas as a “splendid example”, Singh said that it would be a great example of India’s defence capabilities. Elaborating further, the Defence Minister said that despite facing challenges in the Tejas project, India was determined to find solutions to every problem it faces in the endeavour and would definitely establish the full capability to build fighter aircraft in the country.
The Defence Minister also said that the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), apart from the earlier orders for 83 aircraft worth Rs 48,000 crore, has received fresh orders worth Rs 66,000 crore for 97 Tejas fighter aircraft.
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AMCA gets govt nod
Earlier, on May 27, Singh approved the framework for the AMCA, marking a major milestone for indigenous defence capabilities. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will execute the AMCA project through industry partnerships, with equal opportunities provided to the public and private sectors on a competitive basis.
The Defence Ministry had announced that an expression of interest for the development phase would be issued soon, allowing Indian companies to bid independently or through joint ventures and consortia.
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IAF requirements
The proposed fighter will be a twin-engine, fifth-generation stealth aircraft designed to evade radar detection, addressing critical capabilities gaps in India's air defence systems. The announcement followed recent exchange of air strikes between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, which was launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
The development assumes significance in view of the Indian Air Force's critical fighter shortage, currently operating only 31 squadrons against the sanctioned requirement of 42. The existing fleet comprises mainly Russian fighters alongside French-made Rafale and Mirage aircraft.
The Defence Ministry emphasised this represents a significant boost to the "Make in India" initiatives, harnessing indigenous expertise for prototype development.