During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Washington, DC, there was a big development: the US government gave its blessing for India to produce F414 jet engines. The US has never before shared such a key component of its defensive capabilities with a nation that is not an ally.
Additionally, the procedure to inform the US Congress about the impending Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has begun. According to the Hindustan Times, insiders acquainted with the talks around the issue verified these significant developments.
Even without a formal treaty between the two countries, this US-India partnership is very significant since it includes the co-production of jet engines. Additionally, the US is providing a significant quantity of sensitive jet engine technology, allowing for an increase in the percentage of technology transfers.
According to HT, an informed source called the development “transformative,” emphasizing that India would have full access to the engine technology without any hidden details. The technology sharing will approach 50% when the manufacturing process in India starts, with subsequent increases throughout the production cycle.
A flexible licensing agreement would be a part of the deal, giving India access to the engine designs and sensitive technologies. This technology transfer marks a key turning point since the US has never before permitted such a wide-ranging tech transfer.
According to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the defense, state, and commerce ministries have all been granted the required executive permissions. The Senate and House Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees are now receiving notifications from the administration.
Although it would likely take a few weeks for the whole process to reach the entire Congress, a seamless transition is anticipated because of India’s strong bipartisan backing in the US Congress.
To formalize the production arrangement, General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during PM Modi’s visit. The Tejas MK 2 fighter aircraft would be powered by F414 jet engines created as a result of this partnership, enhancing India’s domestic military capabilities.
