Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is poised to conclude negotiations with General Electric (GE) Aerospace within the next three months for the local production of GE’s F414 jet engines in India.

This development is a critical milestone in India’s efforts to strengthen its defence manufacturing capabilities and achieve greater self-reliance in aerospace technology.

The deal centres on the production of the F414-INS6 engine, which is slated to power India’s indigenous TEJAS MK-2 fighter aircraft, a medium-weight, next-generation combat aircraft designed for enhanced payload and performance.

The ongoing discussions, which have spanned nearly two years, are now in the final stages with commercial negotiations set to be finalized imminently. The partnership was publicly announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States in June 2023 and subsequently received political and legal clearances, including approval from the US Congress in 2023.

The framework involves the transfer of approximately 80% of the critical manufacturing and technological know-how related to the F414 engine from GE to HAL—a substantial increase from the 58% technology transfer discussed in earlier negotiations around 2012.

This technology transfer includes key capabilities such as special thermal and corrosion-resistant coatings, machining of single-crystal turbine blades, production of nozzle guide vanes, and blisk machining, which are essential for engine performance and long-term maintenance.

The negotiations also cover the establishment of a new production facility near Bangalore, where HAL will locally manufacture the F414 engines. The contract is estimated to be valued around $1 billion based on 2023 pricing, with production expected to commence within two years of signing the agreement.

Deliveries of the engines for the TEJAS MK-2 aircraft are anticipated to start within three years, aligning with prototype testing and production schedules. Although the agreement excludes certain critical components such as the compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine, the technology sharing and local assembly are expected to significantly boost India’s aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.

This collaboration not only secures the engine supply for the TEJAS MK-2 program, thus ensuring its production timeline remains intact, but also marks a landmark step in India’s strategic goal of self-reliance in defence technologies.

The Ministry of Defence and government officials have actively encouraged HAL and GE to expedite the deal, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighting this as a major advance toward indigenous defence production.

Furthermore, the project is expected to pave the way for future indigenous jet engine development programs and broader aerospace industrialization efforts in India, fostering closer Indo-US defence relations and long-term technology partnerships.

HAL’s nearing conclusion of the F414 engine production agreement with GE is a pivotal advancement for India’s aviation and defence sectors, promising enhanced technological capability, local manufacturing, and strategic autonomy in fighter aircraft engine production within the next three months and beyond.

Key Characteristics of TEJAS Jet Are::

Smallest & lightest aircraft in its classDimensionally smallest which is coupled with Extensive use of composite structure to make the aircraft lighter
Excellent flight safety recordRemarkable achievement of accident free flying.
Compound Tail-Less DeltaIncreases the capacity to carry wider range of weapons like Bombs, Missiles etc
In Flight Refuelling (IFR) ProbeEnhances range during mission undertaken. IFR capability has been proven for day and night operations.
Open Architecture based Mission ComputerIndigenously designed which provides interoperability, scalability and portability
Quadruplex-Redundant Fly-By-WireFully redundant quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system to ease handling by the pilot
AESA RADARElectronically Scanned Array RADAR with low probability of interception.
Weapons PayloadTEJAS is having 9 hard points and is capable to fire variety of weapons like Long Range BVR & WVR missiles, Bombs etc. with required precision and accuracy.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)