NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu will on Friday lay the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme infrastructure in Sri Sathya Sai district on Friday, along with several other defence manufacturing projects.AMCA is India’s indigenous 5th-generation, twin-engine stealth multirole fighter programme designed for the IAF and Navy. It will be designed to compete with stealth fighter jets like US F-35, Chinese J-20, and Russian Su-57.Led by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), it features supercruise, internal weapons bays, and advanced AI, with the first prototype expected by 2028 and squadron induction targeted for 2035. “This facility for aircraft integration, testing, validation and certification would accelerate the development of the AMCA programme,” a defence ministry statement said.Following a CCS approval in March 2024 for a Rs 15,000-crore investment, the AMCA project is moving towards a private-sector-led production model, aimed at creating five prototypes. The govt is likely to issue the request for proposal (RFP) next month to three shortlisted private sector-led consortia competing for the AMCA project, defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Tuesday. The three consortia moving ahead in the process are led by L&T in partnership with Bharat Electronics Ltd and Dynamatic Technologies; Tata Advanced Systems Limited, which has bid independently; and Bharat Forge, which has teamed up with BEML and Data Patterns.Rajnath will also lay the foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art naval systems manufacturing facility of Bharat Dynamics Ltd at T Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district. The complex will be set up to meet the growing requirements of advanced underwater weapon systems and naval combat systems. In addition, grounding ceremonies will be held for defence energetics facility of Agneyastra Energetics Ltd (Subsidiary of Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd); ammunition & electric fuzes plant of HFCL Ltd at Madakasira, Sri Satya Sai district; and an array of projects for drone city at Kurnool. Various MoUs with the Andhra Pradesh govt are also expected to be signed.