GE Engines Ordered for Indian combat aircraft

GE Aviation ^ | Feb. 7, 2007

[sukhoi-30mki]

F404-GE-IN20 Engines Ordered for India Light Combat Aircraft

(Source: GE Aviation; issued Feb. 7, 2007)

BANGALORE, India --- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has ordered an additional 24 F404-GE-IN20 afterburning engines to power the first operational squadron of Tejas fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force. Value of the order is in excess of $100 million and follows an initial 2004 purchase of 17 F404-GE-IN20 engines to power a limited series of operational production aircraft and naval prototypes.

Earlier this year, the F404-GE-IN20 was trial-installed in Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) as part of final evaluations toward flight-testing, scheduled for mid-2007. The F404-IN-20 engine has generated more than 19,000 pounds (85 kN) uninstalled thrust and has completed 330 hours of Accelerated Mission testing, which is the equivalent of 1,000 hours of flight operation.

The F404-GE-IN20 succeeds F404-F2J3 development engines used for nearly 600 flights, cumulatively covering eight engines.

Based on the F404-GE-402, the F404-GE-IN20 is the highest rated F404 model and includes a higher-flow fan, increased thrust, a Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC) system, single-crystal turbine blades and a variety of single-engine features.

The F404 fighter engine family is one of the most successful in military aviation history. More than 4,000 F404 engines power a number of combat aircraft flown by the United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, plus countries throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of jet engines for civil and military aircraft. GE also is a world-leading provider of maintenance and support services for jet engines.

[GAB-1955]

That's smart of the Indians. They like the Russian airframes, especially if HAL, their manufacturer, can make them under license, but they prefer Western engines, which have a longer life and need maintenance less often.

[sukhoi-30mki]

The aircraft in question,the LCA is an indegnious Indian designed aircraft(with considerable American assistance) & with little Russian input.The prototypes have been flying with F-404s.Re-engining is a good idea,but The Russians(or anyone else) would go mad & wouldn't mind armtwisting their customers.Such arrangements have been rather rare for the past 20 odd years with most people opting for original engine types.

[Gengis Khan]

Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)/Tejas doesn't have Russian airframe. It has a delta design thats more European than Russian.