In a recent interview with The New Sunday Express, Krishna Rajendra, the project director for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, gave an approximate timeline for launching India’s first 5th generation fighter aircraft.
“If everything goes according to plan,” the first flight will take place sometime in September 2028, hinging on the success of the four-and-a-half-year development cycle. The first prototype is likely to arrive in late 2027.
The two manufacturers overseeing the project, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), will produce the first five prototypes. These will also undergo numerous tests that will evaluate the AMCA’s avionics, sensors, and performance.
However, the addition of weapons and further testing could push the clearance date back even further, with 2034–2035 being a more likely timeline.
