Program tracker
Full-scale engineering development under way; the prototype-build contract and F414 pricing remain unresolved, but the Mk2 engine track has tipped toward a Safran–GTRE joint venture reported before the CCS (clearance expected by 15 August 2026, not yet officially confirmed), while the MoD has separately begun efforts to join the France-led FCAS sixth-generation programme — framed as complementary to, not a substitute for, AMCA.
India's fifth-generation AMCA stealth fighter is in full-scale engineering development, with DRDO targeting first prototype rollout by end-2028 and a maiden flight in 2029. Three private-sector groups — Tata Advanced Systems, an L&T–BEL consortium and a Bharat Forge–BEML consortium — are bidding to build five flying prototypes after HAL was disqualified, with bids due 27 July 2026. Engines are the programme's biggest open front: GE's near-tripled F414 quote has snarled the prototype-phase deal, while Safran and Rolls-Royce have submitted rival full-technology-transfer offers to co-develop the 120kN-class Mk2 engine.
Updated 8 Aug 2026 · updates logged below as they happen
Changelog
A parliamentary panel document reveals the Ministry of Defence "has initiated efforts in a concerted manner to co-join" the France-led FCAS sixth-generation fighter programme, with the committee demanding a roadmap and analysts assessing FCAS as complementary to — not a replacement for — the fifth-generation AMCA.
The proposed Safran–GTRE joint venture to co-develop the ~120kN AMCA Mk2 engine — with 100% Indian IP, full technology transfer including the hot section, nine prototype engines and HAL as manufacturing partner — is reported to have reached the Cabinet Committee on Security, with clearance expected before 15 August 2026 (no official confirmation yet).
GE Aerospace's F414 quote nearly triples from ₹70–80 crore to about ₹210–240 crore per engine, stalling prototype-phase talks and forcing ADA to evaluate alternative engines for the five AMCA prototypes.
Rolls-Royce tables an offer to co-develop a new 110–130kN AMCA Mk2 engine wholly in India with full IP rights and technology transfer (ground test by 2032, first flight ~2034), setting up a head-to-head against Safran's rival 120kN co-development bid.
MoD issues the request for proposals to the three shortlisted private bidders — Tata Advanced Systems, L&T–BEL and Bharat Forge–BEML — to build five flying prototypes and one structural test specimen, with bids due 27 July 2026.
HAL fails to qualify as the AMCA development-cum-production partner — its order book of over eight times annual revenue breached the selection criterion — leaving Tata, L&T-led and Kalyani-led groups in the race.
DRDO chief Samir Kamat says the first AMCA prototype will roll out by end-2028 with the maiden flight planned for 2029, with design freeze and subsystem work running in parallel to compress timelines.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approves the AMCA Programme Execution Model, opening the prototype-build contract to competitive bidding with private and public sector firms on an equal footing for the first time.
The Cabinet Committee on Security sanctions around ₹15,000 crore for full-scale engineering development of the AMCA under ADA, covering roughly five prototypes to be built over five years.
4 tagged stories
The Defence Ministry has 'initiated efforts' to co-join the France-led FCAS sixth-generation fighter programme, a parliamentary panel reveals — weeks after France and Germany parted ways. What the move means for the IAF and the AMCA.
The Safran-GTRE joint venture for a ~120 kN AMCA Mk2 fighter engine with full Indian IP is reported before the Cabinet Committee on Security, with clearance expected by 15 August — a timeline that still awaits official confirmation.
GE Aerospace has reportedly tripled the price of F414 engines meant for AMCA prototypes, stalling negotiations and casting doubt over schedules for India's fifth-generation fighter and the Tejas Mk2.
Safran and Rolls-Royce have submitted rival proposals to co-develop the AMCA Mk2 engine, each pledging 100% technology transfer. India's choice will decide whether it finally closes its decades-old fighter-engine design gap.
