Big tension for Pakistan, China as India FINALLY set to make deal with US to develop this jet engine to fuel Tejas, AMCA, more powerful than..., name is...

India will no longer have to wait for jet engine as the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is set to seal a deal with US defence giant General Electric (GE) Aerospace to jointly produce a jet engine to power the next generation of India's combat aircraft. Now, the two defence majors will jointly produce engines for India's fighter jets.

According to media reports, the engines will fuel jets like Tejas. Interestingly, the deal is being seen as a jolt to India's enemy country including China and Pakistan. The mega plan to jointly produce the F-141 engines was declared during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington DC back in 2023. 

As per a report by news agency PTI, HAL's chief DK Sunil stated that the deal suffered a delay because of protracted negotiations on the sharing of advanced technologies. However, crucial negotiations with GE Aerospace on the transfer of technologies for the engines have been concluded and both sides are now focusing on the commercial aspects of the project, he added. The new deal will help New Delhi to counter its enemies including Beijing and Islamabad. 

The outlet further cited the HAL chairman as saying, "We are now discussing the ToT (transfer of technologies) principles. (We will have) 80 per cent transfer of technology. Those discussions are more or less over. Now we will be getting into the commercials. So, in this financial year, we should be able to conclude this deal". 

Sunil further said the GE engines will fuel the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mark 2 variant and the initial prototypes of fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

About F-414

The F-414 engine is an advanced version of GE 404, developed in the 1970s. Notably, the engine has been being used by American jets for over 30 years. The deal between HAL and GE marks the first time when the F-414 engines will be developed in India. The F-414 engines are currently in use in America, Sweden, Australia, Brazil, Kuwait, South Korea and Indonesia. Pertinent to note that the F-414 engine is 35 per cent more powerful than F404. 

HAL Chairman DK Sunil has said that the engines will power the first protoypes of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mark 2 as well as the Advance Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Notably, the AMCA is India's fifth-generation fighter jet, equipped with better electronic warfare system and higher payload capacity.