Jet engine deal with France will give 100% access to tech

Jet engine deal with France will give 100% access to tech

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Defence

Context:

• India is in discussions with France to manufacture an engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation fighter jet.
• Talks involve Safran, DRDO, and India’s Aeronautical Development Agency to establish specifications aligning with India’s fighter jet requirements.

About Indigenous Engine Development:

• India’s deal with General Electric (GE) involves manufacturing the F-414 engine, enhancing India’s jet engine capabilities.
• The F-414 engines will power the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-MK2 and the initial version of the AMCA, marking significant progress from past unsuccessful attempts at local engine development under the Kaveri project.

About Kaveri project

• The Kaveri program aimed to create an indigenous military gas turbine engine for the LCA project in 1986.
• Despite spending over ₹2,000 crore, the program did not fulfil the required technical standards.
• Due to Kaveri’s ongoing development, India opted for interim American GE-F404 engines for LCA Tejas Mark-1.

AMCA

• AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is India’s fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter aircraft project.
• AMCA is being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited).