India will soon possess a combat aircraft that can compete with the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II of the United States, the Chengdu J-20 of China, and the Sukhoi Su-57 of Russia. In a major boost to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria revealed on Tuesday that the development of 5th Generation advanced multi-role combat aircraft has begun.

Finally a fine clear image of a wind-tunnel model of India‘s AMCA.

Not sure however if it represents the selected configuration?! ?

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(Image via @Rotarran from SecretProjectsForum) pic.twitter.com/hkOI3jWg6x

— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) August 6, 2022

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Together with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Aeronautical Development Agency is creating the supersonic AMCA. Twin stealth engines are probably going to be on the all-weather, multi-role AMCA. Almost certainly, it will be a military aircraft with just single seat.

The IAF’s mainstays in the ensuing decades will include the Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, and Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, or AMCA. The Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers, which currently use the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29K, will also receive a naval variant of the fifth-generation fighter.

The Indian Air Force is not aiming to induct a foreign-built 5th Gen fighter until the AMCA is made, which would serve as the IAF’s backbone in the upcoming decades. The Indian Navy will also get a 5th Generation fighter with a naval variant. The aircraft will be very stealthy, able to carry weapons both internally and externally, have internal fuel capacity, super cruise, and undertake air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks. The AMCA will have a powerful thrust vectoring engine for superior mobility and improved dogfighting capabilities, as it will engage targets primarily at a distance beyond visual range.