The need for a fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) was first proposed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) back in April 2010. It commenced as a parallel project alongside the joint Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Russian Sukhoi Design Bureau’s PAK-FA fifth-generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme. In 2018, issues with the PAK-FA/FGFA programme’s stealth capabilities led to India’s formal withdrawal from the joint venture. It took a decade of shifting defence priorities, the complexity of advanced stealth technology, and budget debates for the Cabinet Committee on Security to finally clear the ₹15,000 crore full-scale engineering development phase, paving the way for the construction of five prototypes.