'Military equipment got war-tested': DRDO chief says defence exports to go up after Operation Sindoor

DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat on Thursday said he was hopeful that defence exports will increase after Operation Sindoor as indigenous military equipment has got "war-tested".

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of the CII Summit here, he also spoke about the recent clearance given by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to the "execution model" to design and produce India's ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter jet -- the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).

"By 2034, the development work should be completed, and after that production should start from 2035. The first prototype flight will be ready by end of 2029," he said.


The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief said that in this execution model of AMCA which has been approved, "HAL can bid, private sector can bid, they can also bid as a joint venture".

"So, this will open up participation of the private sector for fighter aircraft development," he added.

The execution model approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis, the Defence Ministry had recently said.

When asked if Indian defence exports will see an impact in the wake of Operation Sindoor, the DRDO chairman said, "After Operation Sindoor, I am very hopeful that defence exports will increase because these equipment has got war-tested. So, countries will show interest in acquiring them."

Indigenously developed Akash missile system and Akashteer air defence system were some of the key military assets deployed by India during the recent four-day military confrontation with Pakistan.

Kamat also acknowledged the role of the Indian industry and academia, and said, "we have to achieve complete 'Atmanirbharta' in future".

India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability.

AMCA along with the Tejas light combat aircraft are planned to be the mainstays of the Indian Air Force.

The defence ministry on Tuesday said Singh has approved the execution model for AMCA that will be developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in cooperation with industry partners.