"Historic agreement, we are entering a new era": Lt Gen Sanjay Kulkarni (Retd) after GE Aerospace signs MoU with HAL

New Delhi [India], June 23 : Soon after General Electric's aerospace arm announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to make fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force in India, Lt Gen Sanjay Kulkarni (Retd) on Thursday said that the deal is historic and that country was in dire need of such "advanced" engines.

"This is a very historic agreement. We repeatedly say that we should have 42 squadrons. This will fulfil it. These engines are very advanced engines, they have high thrust and fuel efficiency. India was in dire need of these engines," Lt Gen Kulkarni (Retd) said.

He said that the engines of any aircraft are procured at 50 per cent cost of the aircraft itself, and India will get such engines. "They will be made in India. I think this is a very historic agreement and we are entering a new era," he added.

In a major announcement coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, GE Aerospace on Thursday announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.

The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India.

GE Aerospace said in a release that it continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorization for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 programme.

The US company said that the MoU with HAL to produce fighter jet engines for IAF is a major milestone amidst PM Modi's official state visit to the United States and a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

"This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace.

"We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi's vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet."

GE Aerospace said more than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally.

The release said GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. In addition to potential new work in India, a number of US facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of the announcement, it said.

In 1986, GE began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines.

Subsequently, GE Aerospace's F404 and F414 have been part of the development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs.

In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2, the release said.

"Today's agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace's selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine.

"In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine programme," the release said.

It said GE's presence in India includes its research and technology centre, the John F Welch Technology Centre at Bengaluru, which opened in 2000 and its Multi-modal Factory at Pune, which opened in 2015.

GE Aerospace and its joint ventures have an installed base of more than 40,000 commercial and 26,000 military aircraft engines, the release said.