Following almost three weeks of conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, India’s defense minister authorized on Tuesday the most recent initiative to increase domestic weapons manufacturing by creating a sophisticated fighter jet prototype.
In the face of tensions with China and nuclear-armed Pakistan, India, one of the biggest arms importers in the world, has prioritized modernizing its forces.
The prototype of a fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which the ministry described in a statement as a “significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defense capabilities,” was authorized by Rajnath Singh, the minister of defense.
According to the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), a government organization under the Ministry of Defense in charge of aviation design, India is “set to execute the program through industry partnership.”
