Rajnath Singh approves execution model for 5th-gen fighter jet project
New Delhi, May 27 (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has cleared the "execution model" to design and produce India's ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter jet -- the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).
India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability.
AMCA along with the Tejas light combat aircraft are planned to be the mainstays of the Indian Air Force.
The defence ministry on Tuesday said Singh has approved the "execution model" for AMCA that will be developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in cooperation with industry partners.
The approval for the the critical step for development of the aircraft came against the backdrop of increasing focus on bolstering India's air power in view of China's rapid stride in the domain.
"In a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model," the defence ministry said.
The "execution model" approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on competitive basis, it said.
"They can bid either independently or as joint venture or as consortia. The entity/bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country," the ministry said in a statement.
"This is an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a major milestone towards Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the aerospace sector," it said.
The cabinet committee on security led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given in-principle approval to the fighter jet programme last year.
The initial development cost of the project has been estimated at around Rs 15,000 crore.
The IAF has been pushing for the AMCA project in view of its long-term requirement.
India's confidence in the development of the AMCA saw a significant jump after the development of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
Manufactured by state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the Tejas aircraft is a potent platform for air combat and offensive air support missions while reconnaissance and anti-ship operations are its secondary roles.
The Indian Air Force (IAF), at present, does not have a fifth-generation fighter jet.
China already has Chengdu J-20 jets that it claimed to be a fifth-generation air superiority fighter with precision strike capability.
The IAF is also in the process of procuring 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).
In April 2019, the IAF issued an RFI (Request for Information), or initial tender, to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around USD 18 billion.
It was billed as one of the world's biggest military procurement programmes in recent years.
Major milepost towards #AatmanirbharDefence. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has cleared #AMCA Programme Execution Model to be executed by Aeronautical Development Agency through Industry partnership. This is an important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise,… pic.twitter.com/foAFAfPjAS
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) May 27, 2025
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
MP cruise boat tragedy: Search ops expanded to trace four missing passengers
Jabalpur (PTI): Army divers and disaster response teams on Saturday expanded their search at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh to locate a man and three children still missing after the cruise boat tragedy that claimed nine lives two days ago, officials said.
With 28 of the 41 identified passengers onboard the ill-fated cruise boat rescued safely, police are preparing to register an FIR in connection with the accident that occurred at the reservoir in Jabalpur district on Thursday evening, they said.
The search radius has been expanded to 5 km in the backwaters of the Bargi Dam, located downstream of the Narmada River, area sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra told PTI.
Nine people drowned in the incident, while 28 were rescued, and efforts are ongoing to trace the missing persons, he said.
ALSO READ: Alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers, TMC files complaint with EC
According to the police, more than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, began the search operation at 5 am on Saturday to trace Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, his son Tamil (5), Vijay Soni (6) and Mayuram (5).
Mishra said that an inquest case has been registered and the post-mortem of nine deceased persons has been completed.
"Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will soon register an FIR," he said.
Investigators have said that CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the ill-fated boat, and the names of 41 persons, who boarded the vessel, have been ascertained so far.
Collector Raghvendra Singh confirmed that a search is underway for four missing persons.
The rescue operation, being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers, was briefly affected around 9 am due to strong winds.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and dismissed three crew members after survivors alleged negligence and safety lapses, including failure to provide life jackets.
The government also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state.
The boat, operated by the state tourism department, sank during a sudden storm around 6 pm on Thursday, and the wreckage was retrieved from the dam water on Friday, after the rescuers confirmed that there were no more bodies inside.
Eyewitnesses have said that strong winds made the water choppy, prompting passengers to raise an alarm and ask the crew to steer the vessel towards the riverbank.
A survivor alleged negligence by the crew and described a last-minute scramble for life jackets.
