GE supplies two test engines for Tejas Mk-2, eyes collaboration for AMCA

The Tejas fighter has been powered by the GE-404 engine since its development

General Electric (GE) has delivered two qualified 414 engines to be tested on the planned home-grown Tejas Mk-2 single engine fighter and is looking to collaborate with India to build engines for the proposed advanced medium-combat aircraft.

The Tejas fighter is been powered by the GE-404 engine since its development and the IAF plans to induct over 120 planes with the same engine.So far, India has ordered around 100 engines for the fighter from GE and plans to buy more engines in the coming years.

The single engine fighter being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), a DRDO unit will undergo an upgrade with more features that requires a more powerful engine and GE has been tasked to supply its GE-414 engine.

"The first two engines are for flight test. They are ready to go as and when the plane is ready. We are committed to deliver six more engines," said Mark Pearson, who leads the military engine programme for GE in an interview.

Pearson is betting on the over 700 engineers who work on design and take charge of manufacturing parts of GE's commercial aero engines, at its India centre in Bengaluru, to push for local co-development of the engine for AMCA, which ADA is developing.

India has begun preliminary design work on the stealth aircraft but has not launched a programme officially. GE is looking to partner with ADA, but it also requires a US government approval to collaborate on military programmes before its Bengaluru team can work on the jet engine programme.

The Bengaluru team has worked on the GE90 engine that power the Boeing 777 planes and the engine that power the A380 aircraft. It also developing the GE9X, which the local team in India is collaborating for the replacement engine of GE90 on the Boeing 777.

"The foundation is already here built over 17 years," said Pearson.

GE, which has a manufacturing facility in Pune whose 40% contribution is engine components, says it could meet the mandated 50% requirement of local production for defence contracts within India. "We can deliver on our commitments as and when we see more orders," said Alok Nanda, General Manager, (India engineering operations) at GE.