India is in advanced discussions with the United States and France to collaborate on the development of fighter jet engines for its homegrown fighter aircraft projects under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. India is also planning to acquire 114 fighter jets for its Air Force from foreign vendors.

According to defence sources, India is negotiating with the US for the General Electric (GE) engines for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK2, while the French offer is for a high-powered engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which are both being designed and developed by India. The talks are taking place at a time when India is pushing for self-reliance in the defence sector and promoting indigenous manufacturing of defence equipment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the US in June and France in July, where he may discuss the engine deals with his counterparts. The engines are vital for India as it aims to produce all its future fighter aircraft within the country under the ‘Make in India’ programme, sources said. The LCA MK2 is expected to be ready for induction by 2028, while the AMCA may take seven years for its first flight and ten years for its induction. The AMCA is envisaged as a fifth generation stealth aircraft with internal weapons bay and Diverterless Supersonic Intake, which has been developed indigenously for the first time. It will be a 25-tonne aircraft with internal carriage of 1,500 kg of payload and 5,500 kg external payload with 6,500 kg of internal fuel.

The AMCA will have stealth and non-stealth configurations, and will be developed in two phases – an AMCA MK1 with existing GE-414 engine, and an AMCA MK2 with an advanced, more powerful engine planned to be co-developed with a foreign partner. Once the agreement is finalised with France or the US, the development of the aircraft and the engine will proceed simultaneously to meet the deadlines, officials said.

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