India’s fighter jet project hinges on supply of engines from other nations
India’s plan to produce more than 500 indigenous fighter jets over the next two decades hinges upon getting aero-engines – which it does not make.
Aspirations of becoming self-reliant in making fighter jets have two verticals: One, to get the US firm General Electric to speed up pending supplies of the contracted engines. Secondly, to get the US government to okay a joint venture for technology transfer that has been pending to make a powerful aero-engine in India.
This issue is now testing the strength and agility of the India-US military partnership – that, so far, has been a buyer-seller relationship. India, despite spending almost $20 billion in purchases in the past decade and a half, has not gotten technology transfer on any major equipment like planes, drones or copters.
The first test case of technology transfer is the proposed joint venture to make the General Electric’s F414 engine in India, in partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The joint venture was announced in June 2023 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden met in the US.
In New Delhi, patience is running out. In the past one week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has twice mentioned engines. In a telephone call to his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, Rajnath sought a fast-track delivery of GE F404 engines needed for the Tejas Mark1-A fighter jets. He also suggested a quick signing of an agreement for the joint production of F414 engines between GE and HAL. The GE 414 is 35 per cent more powerful than its predecessor the F404.
India plans to use the F414 engine in the Tejas Mark2 jets — some 180 in number, the naval jets – about 100 – and the initial version of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Besides, the delay in supplies of contracted F404 engines has left a question mark on the reliability of supplies.
In 2021, GE signed a $716 million contract with the Ministry of Defence-owned HAL to supply 99 F404 engines for the Tejas Mark-1A jets. Supplies were to start in April 2023 at the rate of 16 engines a year, but that has not happened. The HAL is tasked to make 180 of the Tejas Mark-1A jets in two tranches of 83 and 97 jets. The order for additional engines hinges upon how fast the first contract moves.
The delay in supplies of F404 engines has set back the delivery schedule of the jet. Phased deliveries of HAL’s first tranche of 83 planes to the IAF were to start in March 2024, but have still not started.
The GE has given a revised timeline of 12 engines this year and 20 engines the year thereafter.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) presently has 31 squadrons (16-18 planes each) of fighter jets against the mandate of 42 to tackle a collusive two-front threat against Pakistan and China. The planes were needed as of yesterday, and engines were needed a day before yesterday.
Rajnath Singh has promised: “Our effort is to ensure that decisions are taken swiftly so that we can begin manufacturing larger engines right here in India.”
India already makes helicopter engines in a joint venture with French company Safran and has got the licence to produce the AL 31-F jet engines used in the Sukhoi 30-MKI jets.
India