PM Modi US Visit: GE, HAL partner up to produce fighter jet engines in India to power IAF’s LCA Mk2
The MoU signed between GE & HAL includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace’s F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this
PM Modi meets with CEO of General Electric H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. in Washington
Hours after PM Modi met General Electric (GE) CEO H Lawrence Culp Junior in Washington and invited his company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector, GE Aerospace Thursday signed a MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.
“This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL,” Culp Junior said.
“We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi’s vision of closer coordination between the two nations,” he added.
What GE Aerospace and HAL agreement includes?
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between GE and HAL includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace’s F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this.
“The effort is part of the Indian Air Force’s Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program,” GE Aerospace said in a release on Thursday.
“Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet,” Culp Junior said.
How is GE-HAL new agreement beneficial?
For more than four decades, GE Aerospace has been operating in India with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing.
“In addition to potential new work in India, a number of US facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of today’s announcement,” GE Aerospace said.
“Today’s agreement will advance GE Aerospace’s earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace’s selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine,” GE Aerospace said.
“In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program,” the release added.
GE started working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL in 1986 to support the development of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines.
Also, GE Aerospace’s F404 and F414 have been part of development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2.
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