US may equip 99 Indian Tejas Mk2 fighters with GE F414 engines

GE has already pitched an offer to the Indian government, and IDRW suggests a positive development could emerge within the next few months, ideally by year’s end. The negotiations, now in advanced stages, emphasize that around 80% of the deal will involve technology transfer, according to an IDRW source.

New Delhi plans to equip 99 units of the highly anticipated Tejas MK2 fighter jet with these engines. Analysts indicate that this deal could create new job opportunities in India and pave the way for India to export the GE F414 engine, both as a stand-alone unit and as part of the Tejas MK2 configuration. Such exports, especially of a completed aircraft with a license-built American engine, could potentially unlock markets across Asia, Africa, and South America.

The acquisition of GE F414 engines is seen as a strategic move to enhance the capabilities of the Indian Air Force. According to IDRW, this advanced engine technology will significantly boost the performance of the Tejas MK2, positioning it to compete more effectively on the global stage.

Despite the “advanced negotiations,” sources indicate there is slight disappointment within the Indian government concerning the equipment of the first version of the indigenous fighter – Tejas Mk1A. The cause of this disappointment is the delay in engines for this type of aircraft, which also comes from the USA and the same company – General Electric.

As reported by The Hindu on August 1, there is a further delay of several months in the delivery of GE F404 engines from General Electric. In response, HAL is preparing a backup plan to install used engines. Because of this, the delivery of the first LCA Mk1A to the IAF, which is now targeting November, appears highly unlikely.

“No engines have been received at this time. They are now expected to be delivered from September onwards,” stated a defense official familiar with the situation. “Due to the delay, HAL has devised an alternative plan to install used engines on the initial batch of jets temporarily,” the official added. The IAF is also participating in this interim arrangement, utilizing Category 2 or used engines until the new engines arrive, for which HAL is in continuous collaboration with GE, officials reported.

Regarding the GE F414 engines, top Defense Ministry sources indicated that India had sent the Manufacturing Licensing Agreement [MLA] to the U.S. last month.

Indian Defense News suggests insight into the negotiation parameters, particularly the unit price of the engine. According to their report, the U.S. is willing to sell the GE F414 engines to India for 1.1 million USD each, while India aims to negotiate a price of around 800-810 thousand USD. It seems a price negotiation process is underway.

This marks a historic moment, as the U.S. has, for the first time, allowed another country to manufacture GE F414 engines outside its borders. Without international precedents to lean on, both nations are navigating uncharted waters, according to defense ministry sources.

Looking ahead, defense ministry sources have shared that India will require about 1,000 engines for its various combat aircraft models, ranging from TEJAS MK-2 to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft [AMCA] and Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter [TEDBF].

The agreement also includes a provision for HAL to produce more engines than the initially agreed-upon number, provided they pay an engine royalty. This memorandum of understanding [MoU] between GE and HAL was signed on June 22, 2023, in Washington, D.C., during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day official visit to the U.S.

HAL has just received orders for 180 more TEJAS from the IAF, in addition to the 220 Tejas that are already part of their fleet.