Congress Greenlights Pivotal Aerospace Deal To Elevate India’s Fighter Jet Production

The US Congress has given its stamp of approval to the historic deal between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This happened before US Vice President Joe Biden went to India for the G20 Summit. This deal clears the way for the joint production of F414 engines in India, which is a huge step for the Indian Air Force and its goal of becoming self-sufficient in military technology.

This agreement, which is worth an impressive $1 billion, is a big pledge from GE Aerospace. The company plans to give India 80% of its advanced technology. This will start a new era of defense production in India. With this important technology transfer, India will be able to make about 75% of the next-generation fighter jet on its own. This is a big jump from the previous program, which made between 55% and 60% of the planes.

The OK from the US Congress has set the stage for more talks when President Biden goes to India in September 2023 for the G20 meeting. This high-profile international event could make it easier for the two countries to work together, especially in the defense field.

As Financial Express Online has already reported, HAL Chief CB Ananthakrishnan says that this relationship between GE Aerospace and HAL will change the game. Under the terms of the deal, GE Aerospace will help India make F414 fighter jet engines. This is in line with the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2 program of the Indian Air Force. This agreement, which is worth about $1 billion, sets up joint production and brings cutting-edge technology and industry know-how to India.

This arrangement is very important because it goes to the heart of India’s defense policy. It is expected to make a big difference in how much of the new fighter jet is made in the country, bringing it up to 75 percent. This is a big gain over the LCA Mk-1A, which had 55–60% local content, and the LCA Mk1, which had only 50% local content.

After the deal was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, HAL CMD CB Ananthakrishnan said that this relationship isn’t just about the present, but also lays the groundwork for future engines that will power military jets that will be made in India.

The final deal is almost ready to cover the co-production of 99 F414 jet engines. This partnership will save money because India will be able to use the technology that GE Aerospace gives it. The first run of these engines is expected to come off the assembly line in India within the next three years. This will be a big step on India’s way to becoming self-sufficient in defense technology.

Background

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics in June 2023. This was a big step forward. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2 will be powered by GE’s F414 engines, which will be made in India as part of this MoU. This strategic move fits in with GE Aerospace’s presence in India, where it has been a key player in the aviation business for the past four decades. The company works on engines, avionics, services, building, making things, and getting things made locally.

GE Aerospace has been working to improve India’s defense powers since it helped build the F404 engines for the LCA Mk1 fighter jet. After that, GE Aerospace’s F404 and F414 engines became important parts of the LCA Mk1A and LCA Mk2 research and production plans.

So far, a lot of F404 engines have been delivered safely, and 99 more engines have been ordered for the LCA Mk1A. Also, eight F414 engines have been sent as part of the LCA Mk2 research program, which is still going on. These successes show how reliable and high-quality GE Aerospace’s goods are in making India’s defense stronger.

With this ground-breaking agreement, GE Aerospace plans to not only make its products in India, but also work together on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program to build, test, and certify prototypes for the F414-INS6 engine. Also, the company wants to work closely with the Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program. This will show that the company is even more committed to India’s aerospace goals.

In India, GE has a state-of-the-art Research and Development (R&D) center in Bengaluru and a plant that can make things in different ways in Pune. These sites are set up to play a key role in helping this innovative aerospace partnership reach its goals.