NEW DELHI: In a big step towards developing India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, three Indian contenders have submitted bids to a high-level review committee constituted by the defence ministry for prototype development for the Rs 15,000-crore Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme with their evaluation process now on.Industry sources confirmed to TOI that the three contenders — L&T-led consortium of BEL and Dynamatic, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), and Bharat Forge-led consortium of BEML Ltd and Data Patterns — submitted their individual bids on Oct 30, the deadline for submission. Of the three, only TASL is the solitary bidder.“The bids were opened on Nov 1 to select a development-cum-production partner (DCPP) for developing five AMCA prototypes (designed by DRDO laboratory Aeronautical Development Agency),” the sources told TOI. The Bengaluru-based ADA, which conceived the project, will oversee the manufacturing of five twin-engine AMCA prototypes.The AMCA is likely to be powered by twin F414 engines if the proposed deal between defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and US-based GE for their joint production in India materialises. ADA requires 15 F414 engines for five flying prototypes for the AMCA project.The five prototypes are expected to undertake 1,800 test sorties in a period of seven years to validate the fighter’s flight-control systems, stealth characteristics, sensors, radar, weapons integration and propulsion performance.AMCA, once ready, will help the Indian Air Force acquire the fifth-generation fighter jet at a time. However, the first batch of the AMCA is expected to be ready around 2034 or 2035. AMCA is also meant to plug the shortfall in the IAF fighter squadrons, which have already come down to an alarming 29 against a sanctioned strength of 42.5. The deadline was earlier extended from Aug 27 to Oct 30 after bidders sought more time to complete formalities for the complex stealth aircraft programme. The aircraft’s stealth features include internal weapons bays, supercruise capability, advanced AI-driven avionics and next-generation sensor fusion.China is already operating two primary fifth-generation stealth fighter jets, Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang J-35, and Pakistan is also planning to buy 40 Chinese J-35 stealth aircraft.