In what comes as a major boost for self-reliance in defence, the defence ministry, on Wednesday, began the selection process for a private sector partner to build a fifth-generation fighter jet under the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project.
The ministry issued a request for proposal (RFP) to three consortia, headed by private sector players.
While Larsen and Toubro has partnered Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Forge has reached an understanding with the defence public sector undertaking BEML. Tata Advanced Systems, meanwhile, is bidding alone.
The RFP appears to hint at the timeline for the eventual large-scale production of the fifth-generation fighter.
The RFP stipulates that the winning bidder will have to set up a new company within three months of selection, following which the contract will be sealed. The new company cannot have foreign shareholding beyond passive institutional investments permitted under Indian regulations and must remain under the ownership and control of resident Indian citizens.
AMCA’s maiden flight must take place within 30 months of the contract being signed, according to the RFP.
A total of 1,800 test sorties are planned for the fighter jet, all of which must be completed within a mandatory 84-month (seven-year) timeline from the date of the signing of the contract.
The series production or mass production of the fifth-generation fighter is expected to commence after this.
The first prototype is likely to roll out by 2029 and will initially be powered by the General Electric F414 engine.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to have as many as seven squadrons of the AMCA, starting in 2035, when the series production will begin.
After the three companies submit their responses to the RFP, the selection process for the project is likely to be completed in four to five months.