Shillong, June 22: During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States, GE Aerospace has announced a significant agreement with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.
This agreement, hailed as a major milestone, comes as an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, and is expected to enhance defense cooperation between the two nations. GE Aerospace considers it a crucial step towards strengthening bilateral ties.
According to the American aerospace company, the agreement includes provisions for potential joint production of GE Aerospace’s F414 engines within India. The company is actively working with the US government to obtain the necessary export authorization required for the agreement. This effort is part of the Indian Air Force’s Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program.
H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace, expressed his enthusiasm about the historic agreement, stating, “This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL. We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi’s vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet.”
This collaboration between GE Aerospace and HAL marks a significant step towards bolstering India’s defense capabilities and promoting indigenous manufacturing in the aerospace sector.