India will manufacture engines for fifth-generation fighter jets with French firm Safran, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced, highlighting the AMCA project and urging global investment in defence manufacturing.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India will start the manufacturing of fifth-generation fighter aircrafts in collaboration with French aerospace company Safran on Thursday.
Rajnath Singh told the Economic Times World Leaders' Forum in New Delhi, that India is already in motion with creating its own fifth-generation fighter jets. He said, “Today, we have also taken steps forward in the direction of building fifth-generation fighter aircraft. We have also moved towards manufacturing the aircraft’s engine in India itself." He further mentioned India's partnership with the French company, Safran.
Singh invited all the international companies and investors to invest in India's growing defense ecosystem, during the meeting. He asserted that India's manufacturing system 'Make in India' is not limited within the boundaries of the nation, but oriented towards development and peace for the world. He said, "When you Make in India, you will make for the world."
The announcement follows the approval of 'execution model' for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, which aims to build stealth-based, medium weight fighter jets to add to India's air defense.
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The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will lead the AMCA programme along with private sector partners. The aircraft will be loaded with advanced technologies like internal weapon bays, Next-generation avionics, sensor fusion, and supercruise capabilities. It will be a 25-tonne-twin-engine fighter with 6.5-tonne internal fuel capacity. The entire project is costed around Rs. 15,000 crore.
After Operation Sindoor, India's push for the fifth-generation aircrafts gained momentum. The operation was a responsive strike to Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack which claimed the lives of 26 innocent people.
