[ad_1]
Discussion with General Electric (GE) Aerospace, which started in 2012 about transferring 58 percent of the technology to India to manufacture jet engines, Finally formed on Thursday, With the first approval to transfer 80 percent of the technology instead after frantic negotiations in the past few years, a senior defense official said Friday.
GE Aerospace on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Thursday to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.
The announcement of the agreement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US. The final agreement is expected to be signed shortly after approval by the US Congress and finalization of commercial terms.
After 2014, there were ambitions for a higher percentage of technology transfer. “The full transfer of technology was approved according to certain criteria, which was not agreed upon in 2012,” the official said.
“This signifies India’s emergence as a reliable partner for many countries,” the official said, adding that Defense Minister Rajnath Singh played a major role in fueling the signing of the agreements.
12 major technologies
According to the official, the 12 technologies introduced included special wear, corrosion and heat barrier coating of the hot end, machining and coating of the single crystal of the turbine blades, machining and coating of the nozzle guide vanes and other hot end parts, and blisk machining.
Technologies on offer also include machining of powder metallurgical discs, thin-walled titanium shell fabrication, friction/inertia welding of propeller and after burner, polymer matrix composites for bypass duct, machining and coating of ceramic matrix composites for nozzle guide vanes and plates, laser engraving technology for combustion and bottle drilling of shafts .
Of these, defense officials said, GE offered complete technology transfer for special anticorrosive and corrosion coating and heat barrier hot end, combustion laser engraving technology, bottl bollard piercing, blisk machining, thin-walled titanium casing fabrication, friction/inertia welding of fan and after burner and for side channel polymer matrix composites.
Only limited technology transfer was provided earlier for special wear, corrosion and heat barrier coatings for the hot end and there was no transfer of technology provided under laser engraving technology for burners.
Similarly, earlier when GE was transferring 58 percent of the technology, only single-crystal machining of turbine blades, machining and coating of nozzle guide blades and other hot parts were introduced, but now coatings are also added. No technology transfer was made earlier for combustion gas laser engraving technology. But under 80 percent technology transfer, machining and painting have been added.
Many of these technologies are necessary to help maintain the structure of turbine blades at high temperatures when a fighter jet is flying.
Only a few countries such as the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France have been able to master these specialized technologies needed to manufacture an engine that can power a combat aircraft.
The F414 engines will power the Indian Air Force’s Mk2 light combat aircraft. GE Aerospace said in a statement Thursday that the agreement with HAL on the jet engines will reinforce its previous commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 programme.
The defense official quoted above said that manufacturing of the jet engine should begin within the next three years of signing the deal and would be timed to orders placed for the LCA Mk2 and prototype testing of the aircraft.
“It is also possible that this local content in the aircraft will rise to 75 percent,” the official said.
Asked if the same GE engine would power India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighters, officials said they would need an engine with a higher thrust of 110 kN.
Apart from GE, India has been talking to other global jet engine manufacturers to transfer technology such as Safran SA of France and Rolls-Royce of the UK for AMCA. The decision on which engine to power the AMCA would be made later, after the aircraft specifications were finalized.
Officials said the deal will help India’s aviation industry by providing access to next-generation technology, new materials and processes, increasing local content in the aircraft and reducing the time taken to repair and maintain it.
The engine would also enable the aircraft to carry increased payload and fuel, advanced sensors, a larger viewing glass cabin, an array of indigenous weapons, wingtip missiles, and would have a higher thrust-to-weight ratio.
A joint statement issued by India and the US on Friday said that Prime Minister Modi and President Biden hailed the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between GE and HAL to manufacture GE F-414 turbojet engines in India, for the LCA Mk2.
This pioneering initiative to manufacture F-414 engines in India will enable greater transfer of US jet engine technology than ever before. The leaders have committed their governments to work collaboratively and expeditiously to support the progress of this unprecedented proposal for co-production and technology transfer.”
“Strengthening local defense capabilities”
Another major development during Modi’s visit was the announcement of plans to purchase General Atomics MQ-9B HALE drones.
The MQ-9Bs, which will be assembled in India, will enhance the ISR capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces across domains. As part of this plan, General Atomics will also establish a comprehensive global maintenance and repair facility in India to support India’s long-term goals of strengthening indigenous defense capabilities.
According to General Atomics, the MQ-9 UAV has an endurance of more than 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate out to 50,000 feet, and has a payload capacity of 3,850 pounds (1,746 kg) that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of Foreign stores.
Once delivered and operational, these HALE UAVs can implement and enhance IAF’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Armed with payloads, armed drones will be able to strike strategic targets in the mountains and sea domain during long endurance missions.
The joint statement also said that Modi and Biden welcomed the emergence of India as a maintenance and repair hub for future deployed US Navy assets and the conclusion of major ship repair agreements with Indian shipyards.
This will allow the US Navy to speed up the contracting process for intermediate and emergency repairs. As stipulated in the Defense Industrial Roadmap, the two countries agree to work together to set up the logistical infrastructure, repair and maintenance of aircraft and ships in India.
[ad_2]
