US updates jet-engine tech transfer policy with India

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 11

The United States has told India that it has changed its policy on gas turbine engine technology transfer to India, allowing technology to be shared with Indian companies and indicating a further cementing of defence ties between the two countries.

The announcement on policy change was made at a meeting between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his US counterpart US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter at the Pentagon in Washington.

The two along with their delegations met around 5 pm that is 3 am India time on Friday. This was the third meeting between Parrikar and Carter in the past 12 months.

The joint statement issued after the meeting said “the Department of Defence of US has updated its policy on gas turbine engine technology transfer to India”. 

As a result of this policy update, the Secretary (Carter) is confident that the United States will be able to expand cooperation in production and design of jet engine components.

“Secretary Carter and Minister Parrikar look forward to US companies working with their Indian counterparts to submit transfer requests that will benefit from this updated policy,” the statement said.

Such engines are largely used in big warships for the Navy and have a big market in merchant vessels. Some 47 Naval ships are under construction and each needs at least two such engines, costing millions of dollars.

A gas turbine can also accelerate air to create thrust in aero engines or drive generators to make electricity or turn pumps.

Parrikar and Carter commended positive discussions at the Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC), especially in the area of aircraft launch and recovery equipment (ALRE).

The Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group (JETJWG), which met this week in Bengaluru, had concluded its terms of reference and had productive discussion on cooperation in this area, the statement said.

The two sides discussed the India-US defence relationship and broader India-US strategic partnership, and focused on the ways to maintain strong momentum of security and defence engagement, including means to further move the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) forward.

Carter and Parrikar expressed satisfaction with DTTI progress to date.

They also committed to identifying additional projects for possible co-development and co-production of high-technology items that meet the transformational intent of DTTI, the statement said.