HAL chief says India-US deal to produce F-414 jet engines to be sealed by March 2026
New Delhi: The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will seal a deal with US defence major GE Aerospace by March to jointly produce a jet engine to power the next generation of India’s combat aircraft, the aviation behemoth’s chief DK Sunil has said.
The mega plan to jointly produce the F-414 engines in India was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington DC in 2023, though the programme suffered from several slippages because of protracted negotiations on the sharing of advanced technologies.
In an interview with PTI Videos, HAL Chairman and Managing Director Sunil said crucial negotiations with GE Aerospace on the transfer of technologies for the engines were concluded and both sides are now focusing on the commercial aspects of
the project.
The forward movement in joint production of the premier engines, which are powering combat jets in several countries including the US, Sweden and Australia, is seen as very significant considering the long-held US policy of maintaining strict controls over domestic military technologies.
Sunil said the GE engines will be used in the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mark 2 variant and the initial prototypes of fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The F-414 project under the technology transfer framework is crucial for India’s ambitious Tejas programme as well as the AMCA project.
The HAL is working on the Tejas Mark 2 variant which will be a much more potent platform featuring a more powerful engine, greater load carrying capability, superior electronic warfare system and an array of advanced avionics.
India also has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium-weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability.
‘IAF to get at least 6 Tejas jets by March 2026’
The Indian Air Force will get at least half-a-dozen Tejas Light Combat Aircraft by March 2026, Sunil disclosed. He attributes the delivery delays to GE Aerospace missing deadline for supply of its engines.
The slippage in the delivery schedule for the LCA Mk-1A variant of the jet had become a major issue with Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh raising the matter publicly.
The HAL chief said that the delay was caused only due to the US firm’s inability to supply the F404 engines on time.
He added that GE Aerospace is expected to supply 12 engines in the current fiscal. This will facilitate delivery of the jets to the IAF.
“I can assure you that as of today, six aircraft are ready. There is no let up from our side. We are building those aircraft and getting them ready and we will be in a position to deliver (by this fiscal),” he said.
