India-US to finalise air info sharing pact soon, says Kendall on New Delhi visit
General Electric (GE) of the US has submitted a proposal for the co-development of a 110 kn thrust engine with Indian agencies in partnership with French-UK groups to power India’s futuristic Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall also said on 21 March that India and the US could soon finalise an air information sharing agreement, which is under advanced discussions.
Kendall, currently on a visit to India, held talks with senior officials of the National Security Council Secretariat, the defence ministry and the external affairs ministry on a range of subjects relating to India-US defence ties.
GE is being considered along with Safran of France and Rolls Royce of the UK for collaboration on the AMCA engine, according to BW Businessworld report, citing sources.
“The options for a tie-up are open from among the three contenders. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the lead agency and a private Indian entity is also likely to be involved in the programme,” said the sources to BW Businessworld.
The revival of the GE bid to co-develop the AMCA engine coincides with the development of an “Enhanced Performance Engine” (EPE) variant of the GE-F414 for the US Navy.
The Enhanced Performance Engine includes a new core and a redesigned fan and compressor. It offers up to a 20% thrust boost, increasing it to 26,400 pounds (120 kN), giving an almost 11:1 thrust/weight ratio.
This matches or slightly exceeds the requirement for the AMCA Mk-2. Hence, GE will be ready with technologies required for a 110 kn engine required by India, according to the report. fiinews.com
