Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and India's Combat Aircraft Programme
ADA was established in 1984 under the Ministry of Defence to oversee India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme. It is an autonomous body affiliated with DRDO and serves as the nodal design authority for Indian combat aircraft, having developed the Tejas and now leading the Tejas Mk 2, TEDBF, and AMCA programmes. The AMCA programme was formally initiated in 2011 and received Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) sanction of ₹15,803 crore in March 2024 for the prototype development phase.
- ADA completed the preliminary design review of AMCA by 2014 and detailed design thereafter.
- The AMCA is a 25-tonne twin-engine, single-seat, all-weather stealth multirole aircraft with a combat range of approximately 1,620 km and a top speed of Mach 2.15.
- The airframe uses 38–40% composites; stealth features include S-shaped air intakes, internal weapons bays, and low-observable coatings.
- Internally, the AMCA carries a 6.5-tonne fuel load and a range of indigenous and allied weapons.
● Tracked since May 27, 2026 · last seen May 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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