The Ministry of Defence has issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the indigenous fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme to three shortlisted bidders, including the Larsen and Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited combine, Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Forge-BEML, ANI reported on Wednesday citing defence officials.The move marks a major step forward in India’s effort to develop an indigenous stealth fighter jet platform for the Indian Air Force.Also Read: India shortlists three private firms to build next-gen stealth fighter jetsThe Economic Times had earlier this week reported that technical and legal terms for the programme had been finalised and that Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Forge were expected to receive the tenders by the end of May.The shortlisted firms were selected on the basis of technical competency. Public sector aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics was not included in the initial shortlist for the prototype development stage.According to ET’s earlier report, the winning bidder will work with the Aeronautical Development Agency to build five AMCA prototypes at a new testing facility being developed in Andhra Pradesh. The facility is expected to become operational within a year, with a target to fly the prototypes by 2032.Also Read: 114 Rafale jets deal moves ahead as India finalises LoR for France: ReportThe defence ministry has earmarked an indicative budget of Rs 15,000 crore for the prototype phase of the AMCA programme. Once the aircraft is developed and tested, the Indian Air Force is expected to place a larger order for around 120 jets in the first phase, with deliveries projected to begin by 2035.The fifth-generation fighter jet is expected to feature stealth capabilities, artificial intelligence integration, long-range targeting systems and the ability to operate alongside unmanned aerial platforms.