India Soon To Get Its Own First 5th Gen Stealth Fighter Says DRDO Chief

New Delhi: India will receive its first indigenously-developed fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the **Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)**, by 2035, DRDO chairman Dr Samir V Kamat said on Sunday. The project, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) earlier this year, has officially begun its journey.

Speaking on the challenges of building such advanced aircraft, Kamat said, “It usually takes 10 to 15 years to develop a new fighter jet platform, anywhere in the world. We’ve just started in 2024 after the CCS clearance, and we have committed to delivering the platform by 2035.”

India looks for Foreign Partner on Engine Tech

Kamat also announced DRDO’s plan to launch an AERO engine programme for the AMCA and other future aircraft. He acknowledged the complexity of jet engine technology and said DRDO would look to collaborate with a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to reduce risks and speed up the process.

“We learnt a lot from the Kaveri engine programme. While Kaveri was a fourth-generation engine, the world has now moved to sixth-generation tech. We want to partner with a global OEM so we can save time and avoid delays. We hope to have some positive developments in the next few months,” he added.

Other Defence Systems Nears Induction

Highlighting progress in other DRDO projects, Kamat said several systems are reaching completion and could be inducted within a year. “VSHORAD, MPATGM, and LCA Mk II will see major developments. LCA II will also have its first flight soon. Many of our systems are now maturing and ready for the next step.”

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'Star Wars'-style Weapons in Pipeline

Kamat also spoke about futuristic defence technologies being worked on by DRDO. “We are working on high-energy systems like microwave weapons and electromagnetic pulse systems. These are key components of next-generation warfare technologies. What we showed today is just one element of that vision,” he said.

Kamat added that the collaboration between DRDO labs, private industry, and academia has been crucial. “This is just the beginning of the journey. With this kind of synergy, I am confident we’ll reach our goals soon. we are working on a number of technologies that will gives us Star Wars capability. What you saw today as one of the components of Star Wars technologies," Kamat Said.”