US fighter jet engines to be rolled out in 3 yrs

Final pact to be signed soon, the engines will be fitted in Indian Air Force's indigenous fighter jet Tejas Mark 2

- MAYANK SINGH

THE much-talked-about IndiaUS jet engine-related transfer of technology deal is expected to get inked soon and it will lead to the production of the engines “within three years”. Under the deal 110 KN (kilonewton) engine will be jointly produced in India.

“We are ready to sign the agreement soon and within three years, India will have this engine,” said a senior official of the Ministry of Defence.

While the cost of the project is yet to be discussed, the numbers of engines to be co-produced will be around 100, sources said as the Indian Air Force has not yet indicated the exact numbers.

The deal is viewed as significant as India lacks in engine-related technology and with time, it will be sought even more as the Air Force is already down to around 30 combat squadrons as against a sanctioned strength of 42. While the GE-F414 engines are to be fitted in the Light Combat Aircraft Mk2, the work on twin-engine deck-based fighters and advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) is also proceeding.

The senior MoD official said the significance of the GE-HAL deal for 414 engine lies in the fact the India would get access to cutting-edge technologies.