US Military Jet Engine Deal With India Counters China And Russia

ANALYSIS – In a bid to deepen U.S.-Indian defense ties, move India away from Russian technology and help counter China, the U.S. is poised to sign a deal with India allowing General Electric (GE) to jointly produce jet engines for military aircraft in India.

This, according to a Reuters report using highly placed anonymous sources.

The expected deal is significant since Washington maintains strict controls over what U.S. military technology can be shared with or sold to other countries, especially those outside formal alliance structures like NATO.

Once finalized, the deal requires notification to the U.S. Congress, but that isn't expected to be a problem.

The bilateral deal, also known as the U.S.–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), has the added benefit of keeping European jet engine manufacturers from gaining a foothold on the subcontinent.

The initiative, intended to accelerate technological cooperation between the world's two largest democracies, was announced by the White House in January. The White House Fact Sheet noted that the initial focus would be on exploring projects related to jet engines, munition-related technologies and other systems.

A deal finalizing the joint production of the engines should be inked and announced by the time Joe Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit on June 22, reported Reuters.

Giving details of the proposed defense deal, sources said the plan is to manufacture the GE F414 engine, which was shortlisted by India in 2010 to power the Mark II version of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas.'

Once production begins in India, the F414 will power all future fighter jets, including the Tejas Mk II, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as well as the indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) for the Indian Navy, according to The Print.

India intends to produce more than 350 fighter jets for its air force and navy over the next two decades.

GE will be partnering with India's state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Reuters first reported how the deal would counter China's military aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

It also undermines Russia. India, the world's largest democracy, has had a close defense relationship with the Kremlin for decades. The country's armed forces rely on Russia for almost half its military equipment and munitions.

Yet, despite a concerted effort by Ukraine and the West, Russian oil now accounts for 20% of Indian annual crude imports, up from 2% in 2021.

This jet engine move is expected to be the first step toward weaning India away from Russia while helping it build its defense capabilities against China.

The deal will also allow India to gain valuable technological expertise to eventually produce its own jet engines, furthering its goal to fully develop an indigenous defense industry.

The co-production process will first involve making components for the engines in phases before actually moving to making the complete engine. This will take at least a decade.

While the partnership initially will be for aviation engines, The Print reported that it will eventually extend to those powering Indian Navy warships.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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