GE to supply engines for Indian combat jet

Saturday, 07 February 2004, 20:30 IST
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WASHINGTON: GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) is to supply 17 engines for India's home grown Tejas combat jet in a deal valued at $105 million, it was announced Friday. The contract has been awarded by India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to power a limited series production of the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA), GE said in a statement. The development contract calls for GEAE to provide 17 F404-GE-IN20 engines, as well as logistics support, with first deliveries scheduled for 2006. Limited series production of the LCA will begin in 2005 and there is a potential for 250 aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, GE said. Flight-testing of LCA prototypes with an F404-GE-F2J3 engine began in 2001. To date, three LCA prototypes have completed more than 150 test flights, including supersonic flights. In all, seven prototype LCAs are scheduled to fly with F404-GE-F2J3 engines. The F404-GE-IN20 engine for the limited series production aircraft will be a variant of the F404-GE-402, modified to power the single-engine LCA with redundant features and a control system with an advanced FADEC (full authority digital electronic control). The engine will greatly benefit from its commonality with the more than 3700 F404 engines in service worldwide, GE said. In addition to the LCA limited series production aircraft, F404-GE-IN20 engines are also planned to fly with LCA naval variants NP1 and NP2 currently under development at ADA. F404 engines power the F/A-18 Hornet fighter/attack aircraft of the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, and of the air forces of Canada, Australia, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Switzerland, and Malaysia. The engine also powers the US Air Force F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, Sweden's JAS 39 Gripen; Singapore's A-4 Skyhawk and Korea's T-50 advanced trainer/light combat aircraft.
Source: IANS
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