The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Thursday gave nod to a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) project for designing and developing Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) to fulfil Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) requirement for a fifth generation stealth fighter jet.

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Besides that, the CCS in its meeting, said to be the last before Lok Sabha polls are announced, has also cleared proposals for acquisition of 34 new Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv for the Indian Army and Indian Coast Guard. Of these, the Army will get 25 of the copters while Coast Guard remaining nine of them, said sources are aware of the development. The Dhruvs, manufactured by the navratna PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), are also operated by the IAF, Indian Navy, Border Security Force (BSF) and state governments since 2002.

Meanwhile, the AMCA project, believed to cost around ₹15,000 crore, would be developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency in collaboration with various private and public entities to manufacture five prototypes in about five years, government sources said.

With this, the government has given indication that it will rely on indigenously made fifth generation aircraft rather than buying from foreign equipment manufacturers, giving a boost to atmanirbharta in the defence sector.

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