Jet Engine Deal with US

23rd June, 2023 Defence

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Context: An agreement to facilitate the transfer of at least 11 critical jet engine technologies is likely to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ongoing official State Visit to the United States.

More about the deal

The deal is anticipated to be announced between the American multinational corporation General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the manufacture.
The decal will provide a licence in India for GE’s F414 engine for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2.
The deal was a key highlight of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s meeting with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan in February.
In this meeting, the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) was operationalised.

The GE-414 engine

The turbofan engine is a part of GE’s suite of military aircraft engines and it has been in use by the US Navy for more than 30 years.

Features

Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC): It is the latest aircraft ignition and engine control system that controls engine performance digitally.
Advanced materials and cooling techniques: It finds a usage of advanced materials and cooling techniques to improve performance and extend component life.

What are F414-powered jets?

Currently Eight nations have F414-powered aircraft in operation or on order.
F414-GE-400 engines power the US Navy’s Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.
Saab’s Gripen E/F fighters use the F414G, the single-engine variant of the F414-GE-400.
F414 engines can also power emerging platforms such as the Korean KF-X.

Engine version for Indian aircraft

For the LCA Tejas Mk2, The India-specific version of the engine, F414-INS6, was selected by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO).
The LCA Tejas is currently powered by a single GE-f404-IN20 engine.
The basic design of The GE-404 engine has been replicated in the F414 and the latter was developed in the 1970s.

Competitors of Engines of Indian Aircrats

F414 engines may also be used to power the prototypes and the initial batch of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) which are India's futuristic fifth generation fighter aircraft for our Air Force.
However, AMCA might be the possible recipient of the engine, but other jet engine makers such as Safran SA of France and Rolls-Royce of the United Kingdom, are its competitors.
Safran and HAL have co-developed the Shakti engine for the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv and Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand.

Importance of the deal

Only a handful of countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, and France, have the technology needed to manufacture an engine that can power combat aircraft.
Despite its push for self-reliance in manufacturing several critical technologies, including cryogenic rocket engines, India does not have such technology.
With the deal, India will feature in the list of the countries which have such technologies.
The deal will complete India's long-drawn pursuit of advanced combat jet engine technology.

India’s own jet engine and a story of failure

The DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) first worked on developing the GTX-37 engine for the LCA. Subsequently, the ambitious Kaveri engine project was sanctioned in late 1989.
Nine full prototype engines and four core engines have been developed, engine testing has been carried out, and Altitude Tests and Flying Test Bed (FTB) trials have been completed — but the engines have not been found suitable for fighter aircraft.
There was a major shortfall in the wet thrust of the engine, which generated only 70.4 kN as against the targeted 81 kN.
In 2011, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) pulled up the GTRE for its inability to produce the engine for the LCA despite heavy cost overruns.
The LCA Tejas was integrated with the GE-404 engine.
However, the government announced that the technological capabilities built through the Kaveri engine project would be utilised, including as derivatives in drones.

LCA Tejas

LCA Tejas is a 4.5 generation, all weather and multi-role fighter aircraft.
The aircraft is designed to be a multi-role aircraft capable of taking up offensive air support, close combat and ground attack roles at ease.
It is also designed to undertake Ground Maritime Operations.

LCA Mk1A

The LCA Mk1A is the most advanced version of the LCA Tejas.
It is equipped with AESA Radar, EW suite consisting of radar warning and self-protection jamming, Digital Map Generator (DMG), Smart Multi-function Displays (SMFD), Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT), Advanced Radio Altimeter and other advances features.

The key characteristics of LCA are

It is the Smallest & lightest aircraft in its class.
It has a Compound Tailless Delta that Increases the capacity to carry a wider range of weapons like Bombs, Missiles etc
It has In Flight Refuelling (IFR) Probe which Enhances range during missions undertaken.
The aircraft has Open Architecture based Mission Computer Indigenously designed which provides interoperability, scalability and portability.
It is equipped with Quadruplex-Redundant Fly-By-Wire Fully redundant quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system to ease handling by the pilot.
AESA RADAR Electronically Scanned Array RADAR makes it aircraft with a low probability of interception.
It is capable of firing a variety of weapons like Long Range BVR & WVR missiles, Bombs etc. with required precision and accuracy.

Conclusion

The countries that have the technology to manufacture advanced engines for fighter aircraft have been traditionally unwilling to share them. That is why the anticipated deal to manufacture GE’s F414s in India is pathbreaking. The pact will bring an end to India’s long-drawn pursuit of advanced combat jet engine technology.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Consider the following statements about LCA Tejas: