GE Aerospace announced on Thursday (June 22) that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.
The announcement comes a major milestone amidst Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official state visit to the United States and a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.
GE Aerospace stated that the agreement 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.
For the unversed, US-based GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft.
H Lawrence Culp, Jr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace said, “This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL.”
“We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi’s vision of closer coordination between the two nations. 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,” Lawrence added.
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GE Aerospace’s presence in India
In India, GE Aerospace has operated for more than four decades. Its engagement has been seen in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. Apart from the potential new work in India, a number of US sites presently supporting work on the F414 engine will experience increased activity as a result of today’s decision.
GE began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines in 1986. And GE Aerospace’s F404 and F414 have been part of the development and production programmes of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs.
The press release by GE Aerospace mentioned that a total of 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Meanwhile, eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2.
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