US General Electric, Indian Air Force ink deal for Tejas engine maintenance facility
In-country depot to boost turnaround time, reduce dependence on foreign repair hubs
US company General Electric on Monday announced that it has signed a contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to establish an in-country depot facility for maintenance of the F404-IN20 engines that power IAF’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas fleet.
The engine is used in the fleet of 35 Tejas jets in the IAF inventory, and it is also the engine for the under-production 180 jets of the Tejas Mark 1A, an upgraded version of the original Tejas. Both the jets use a single engine. The maintenance facility was needed for the quick turnaround of engines.
The GE said the facility will be set up by the IAF with technical inputs from GE Aerospace and is expected to help India’s indigenous defence sustainment effort.
The GE said, “Once operational, the facility will eliminate the need to depend on the overseas repair centers, significantly improving turnaround times.”
The depot facility will be owned, operated, and maintained by the Indian Air Force, with GE Aerospace providing technical inputs, training, support staff, and the supply of necessary spares and specialised equipment. This collaboration marks the next step in the four-decade-long partnership between GE Aerospace and the IAF.
Rita Flaherty, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace said “Our commitment to supporting India’s armed forces continues to guide our collaboration and partnership in expanding local sustainment capabilities of the Tejas fleet,” said Through the upcoming depot facility, we will support the availability of the F404-IN20 engines for the Indian Air Force, ensuring they have ready access to cutting-edge technology to power their defense needs.”
GE Aerospace said it was committed to developing India’s aerospace ecosystem, spanning design, development, manufacturing, and sustainment for both commercial and military aviation.
Other than the Tejas, GE Aerospace engines also power the Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MH60R helicopters, as well as the Indian Air Force’s AH-64 Apache helicopters, while LM2500 marine gas turbines provide the power for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and the P-17 Shivalik Class frigates.
GE’s Pune manufacturing facility and 13 local Indian partners are part of the company’s global supply chain.
