HISTORIC! US clears GE Aerospace's MoU with HAL to produce fighter jet engines for IAF
31 Aug 2023 18:24:37
In a historic development in India-US defence relations, American Congress on Wednesday (Aug 30) cleared GE Aerospace's agreement with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to manufacture fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to produce the jets was signed between GE Aerospace and HAL during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the US. “It is all clear from the legislative end. The sale was approved before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit itself. But, as per the process, the State Department notified the House and Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jul 28. There has been no objection. The administration can go ahead with the next steps," an official was quoted as saying by media.
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In a big boost to Indian-American defence cooperation, the US Congress has approved the deal between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (#HAL) to produce #F414 fighter jet engines for the #IndianAirForce which includes unprecedented technology transfer. pic.twitter.com/U6zrcaKEmP
— BN Adhikari (@AdhikariBN) August 31, 2023
US-based GE Aerospace is regarded as the world's leading provider of jet engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft. The significance of the deal lies in the fact that the US never shares similar tech, even with its closest allies and the fact that Washington is willing to share such information with New Delhi suggests that it has high hopes from India in the region. US Congress's approval makes way for the implementation of the agreement with HAL, which includes unprecedented technology transfer, manufacturing of jet engines in India and licensing arrangements.
According to reports, technology transfer is expected to expedite the production of F414 fighter jet engines, highly renowned for their reliability and performance. The deal is aimed at enhancing the operational performance of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MKII. Additionally, the deal includes the co-production of 99 jet engines, which will be less costly due to the technology transfer. According to reports, during US President Joe Biden's visit to New Delhi to attend the G20 leaders summit, both countries are expected to flesh out more details to take the deal forward.
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