MoCA, AAI to extend complete support for flight testing, airspace needs of India's fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme

New Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) will provide "complete support" for India's fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme by ensuring seamless coordination for flight testing and airspace requirements.

The Minister on Thursday said MoCA and the AAI are working closely with stakeholders to ensure that the flagship defence programme does not face any logistical hurdles during its development and testing phase.

In a post on X, Naidu said the government's efforts reflect its commitment to strengthening India's indigenous defence capabilities under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


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"Under the decisive leadership of PM @narendramodi, a Shashakt, Samarth & Surakshit Bharat is taking shape, powered by sovereign capabilities. Recently, the foundation stone for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Centre was laid in Puttaparthi by RM @rajnathsingh & CM @ncbn Garu. Further, the Ministry of Civil Aviation & @AAI_Official is ensuring complete support for the prestigious fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme by facilitating seamless coordination for flight-testing needs and airspace requirements. Proud of the Aeronautical Development Agency & Indian Airforce for strengthening the country's strategic autonomy. @MoCA_GoI," he said.


The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is India's flagship fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft programme being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). The aircraft is expected to significantly improve and bolster the Indian Air Force's combat capability with advanced stealth features, modern sensors, network-centric warfare capability and a high degree of indigenous technology.

The Civil Aviation Ministry's support is important to ensure uninterrupted flight testing and the availability of the required airspace as the programme progresses through various stages of development.

In May, the Defence Ministry issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the AMCA programme to three shortlisted industry consortiums: Larsen and Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited, Tata Advanced Systems, and Bharat Forge-BEML, defence officials said.

The move followed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's approval of the AMCA Programme Execution Model last year as part of the government's push to strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing. Under the model, the ADA will execute the programme through an industry partnership.

The Execution Model approach provided equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis.

A couple of weeks prior to the issuance of the RFP, Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre at Puttaparthi. The facility is expected to accelerate the development of the AMCA and other future indigenous aerospace platforms.

The AMCA programme has a total outlay of around Rs 15,000 crore. The Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre, being established by the Aeronautical Development Agency, a constituent organisation of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is a key component of the project and is being built at an estimated cost of about Rs 2,000 crore.