GE Offers Enhanced F414 Engine Variant for AMCA Mk2, Ready to Collaborate with India's GTRE to Develop New Powerful Core

At the Aero India 2025 airshow, which took place in Bengaluru from February 10-14, GE Aerospace expressed its plans to partner with India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) to create a more powerful engine for India's future fighter jets, mainly AMCA Mk2.

GE Aerospace confirmed the F414-GE-INS6 engine, a version of the F414 specifically designed for India, will power the initial production runs of the AMCA Mk1.

This engine generates approximately 98 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust, sufficient for the AMCA Mk1's design, which includes features like stealth, the ability to cruise at supersonic speeds without afterburners (supercruise), and advanced integrated electronic systems.

GE is already contracted to provide 99 of these engines for the Tejas Mk2 fighter, in a $716 million deal finalized in 2023. This agreement involves significant technology transfer (80%) and co-production with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

A GE Aerospace official stated that the F414-GE-INS6 is a good fit for the initial 40 AMCA Mk1 aircraft. This will provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with an advanced, fifth-generation fighter while India continues to develop its own engine technology.

The AMCA Mk1 is projected to be unveiled by 2028 and enter full production in the mid-2030s. It is considered a precursor to the more sophisticated AMCA Mk2.

However, GE Aerospace acknowledged that the AMCA Mk2, and any subsequent versions, will need a more powerful engine to reach its full potential as a fifth-generation fighter.

Therefore, GE is expressing strong interest in collaborating with GTRE to build a successor to the F414-GE-INS6. This new engine is envisioned to have a redesigned core, providing increased thrust and overall improved performance.

The official explained that the AMCA Mk2 will need an engine that provides higher thrust and incorporates features expected of a true fifth-generation fighter.

The collaboration aims to deliver this capability while making sure the new engine fits into the existing AMCA design with minimal modifications. This approach helps to control costs and speed up the development process.

The proposed successor engine will feature an entirely new core design. This core will be capable of generating potentially more than 110 kN of thrust, meeting the needs of the AMCA Mk2.

The engine's design will also allow for future upgrades, making it a potential candidate for even later versions of the AMCA or other future fighter programs. The official confirmed that, this new core design allows to upgrade the engine and increase thrust for future programs.

Regarding intellectual property (IP), the GE official stated that any newly developed engine would have shared IP rights, reflecting the contributions of both GE and GTRE. This collaborative approach ensures both partners benefit from the joint effort and that each organization's technological contributions are recognized.

 

[sanket]

GE offer does not suit well as far as IPR is concerned. If a certain section of the engine is developed by GE, then GTRE has to depend on GE, and also GE will control the supply of components, similar to the French Safran offer, while the RR offer is looking best with IPR & all components being produced locally.

 

[Hari Sud]

GE, with its delay in supplying the GE404 engine, has gotten a lot of flak; it is unlikely that India will talk to them for the AMCA engine.

 

[P.K Senapati]

Nobody will give full IPR.Not Safran or RR. You learn in the process. Today you make LP module, you also learn how HP module is made from other party.
That way tomorrow you can make HP module with more confidence.

 

[Dipesh Debnath]

We want full IPR not partial IPR. Safran might get rejected due to partial IPR.

 

[Kailash]

Tejas Mk2 - 200 nos (200+ engine replacement over life), AMCA Mk1 - 40+5 nos (90+), TEDBF - 45 (MiG-29K replacement 90+ engines)

Worst case, Indo-French engines do not come in time, and/or do not fit the engine bay of these aircraft. Keeping a 60% replacement over lifetime of the airframes,

Mk2 - 200 * 1.6 = 320 F414sAMCA - 90 * 1.6 = 144 F414sTEDBF - 90 * 1.6 = 144 F414s

That is a total of 608 engines over the lifetime of these platforms. What sense does it make to order just 99 nos? After securing an 80% tech transfer deal, India should drive down the price hard, and lock it low, with a minimum order of 450 normal and 150 navalized F414s.

Big assumption and hope is the US under Trump will be much more reliable in terms of timelines for delivering these engines. US product quality and servicing has typically been much better than other nations [excluding intentional sanctions or walkout of agreements].

 

[Raakbas]

If we want the project to see the light of day, please stay away from GE all the way. Our options include Rolls Royce, Safran, and UAC.

 

[sujith sudhakaran]

Partial, full, or anything, I just want them to sign the deal as early as possible and start working sooner rather than later. Beggars can't be choosers; the more we drag out the negotiations, the longer the engine will be delayed, and we will have a Kaveri 2.0 situation where the engine is nowhere in sight even after the jet is ready.

 

[Madan]

These are the distrupting tactics of GE to stall indigenous development of engine. India needs to tread cautiously.

 

[Pankaj]

GE is not trustworthy. In the coming 3-4 years, if either Russia or the US involves in any war-like situation, there will be huge pressure on India either to take one side or face CAATSA & other such sanctions.So in the current scenario, it's better to go with RR (UK) for the desired 110kN engine development and even India may think of UEC (Russia), the long-time tested partner, for developing an entirely new engine like AL-51 & its derivatives.

 

[Madan]

GE is not trustworthy. In the coming 3-4 years, if either Russia or the US involves in any war-like situation, there will be huge pressure on India either to take one side or face CAATSA & other such sanctions.So in the current scenario, it's better to go with RR (UK) for the desired 110kN engine development and even India may think of UEC (Russia), the long-time tested partner, for developing an entirely new engine like AL-51 & its derivatives.

You are absolutely right. Indigenous engine is the only way out. For time being better to go for the AL-51 type of option instead of going into a USA trap.👍

 

[Surfer]

GE, with its delay in supplying the GE404 engine, has gotten a lot of flak; it is unlikely that India will talk to them for the AMCA engine.

Just like Safran, no IPR, RR or Russia will be the best that will work for us.

 

[AJS]

Transfer technology to whom? GTRE? And what will they be able to do with it? Do they have the capability to make use of it to move forward in any meaningful way, such as designing the next generation of engines? Manufacturing some engine based on blueprints and sticking your label on it is not the same as gaining design capability. In any case by the time they learn to build the GE414 locally, it will be outdated. Just like the Al31 engine that HAL is building under transfer of technology from Russia - it is now “indigenised” but HAL is no closer to designing a useful engine of its own, and the IAF is so afraid of entrusting HAL to build anything else, they have turned down the Russian offer to upgrade to the contemporary Al41 engine.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Whichever foreign partner we go with, it's important to have our own program running in parallel. We didn't go for parallel development for FGFA and AMCA. Since FGFA didn't work out for us, we got delayed for AMCA. When Europe, China, and maybe a few others would be fielding their 6th gen jets, we will be rolling out our 5th gen jets.

 

[हरिः व्योम]

India is not thinking right. 110kN must be flat-rated and have a 20% growth potential in thrust.

 

[Andy13]

GE has lost credibility with 404. Rolls Royce is ready for 100% TOT and IPR.

 

[Arin Kumar]

Any collaboration with GE will be beneficial.

For example, if we find that GE makes us spend money to build a modern aero engine factory for GE F414 and then abandon the project mid-way (which they generally do) - even then, we will be able to learn what it takes to build a modern aero-engine factory. Because so far, we have only successfully developed the MANIK engine - that too is a developer's/researcher's model - it has not yet been mass produced.

So, we know NOTHING about mass manufacturing of aero-engines.

 

[Arin Kumar]

India is not thinking right. 110kN must be flat-rated and have a 20% growth potential in thrust.

Brother, first let them build a small engine for the trainer aircraft properly.

 

[Nidhish debbarman]

It will sound stupid, but I think there's no time to waste on further pros & cons. Rather, we should start two/three types of engine with different foreign partners, with IPR, so that no one can put pressure on our industries. Even the government can start immediate competition within India to produce aircraft jet engines within a certain time period, or else we will have to depend on foreign companies until 2040.

 

[Krishnendu Chatterjee]

Brother, first let them build a small engine for the trainer aircraft properly.

Manik faced a lot of hiccups, like all DRDO projects, affecting Nirbhay. But that's past. I think Manik is now rechristened STFE 4.5 and accepted for mass production after a series of successful tests. I am eagerly awaiting the fate of the Kaveri derivative, now undergoing flight tests in Russia. If it proves successful, we may try a new core for AMCA on our own.

 

[Krishnendu Chatterjee]

Any collaboration with GE will be beneficial.

For example, if we find that GE makes us spend money to build a modern aero engine factory for GE F414 and then abandon the project mid-way (which they generally do) - even then, we will be able to learn what it takes to build a modern aero-engine factory. Because so far, we have only successfully developed the MANIK engine - that too is a developer's/researcher's model - it has not yet been mass produced.

So, we know NOTHING about mass manufacturing of aero-engines.

...so how was HAL mass manufacturing over 200 AL-31s for Sukhoi MKI?

 

[Krishnendu Chatterjee]

Remember, GE is an American company. American Govts. are prone to impose "sanctions" whenever the partner country refuses to toe their line in various policy matters. So, GE is out.

 

[Arin Kumar]

...so how was HAL mass manufacturing over 200 AL-31s for Sukhoi MKI?

They did not mass-manufacture. They just assembled Russian and maybe a few Indian components. Even today, after using the AL-31 for 25 years, HAL imports 46% of these engines from Russia. We are so brilliant!

 

[Arin Kumar]

Whichever foreign partner we go with, it's important to have our own program running in parallel. We didn't go for parallel development for FGFA and AMCA. Since FGFA didn't work out for us, we got delayed for AMCA. When Europe, China, and maybe a few others would be fielding their 6th gen jets, we will be rolling out our 5th gen jets.

We need Aero Engine development, research, and educational institutes which will produce Aeronautical and Material Science Engineers.

The Chinese opened dedicated Aeronautical and Material Science Universities in the 1970s. They have four universities like these; we have none, just GTRE. Most people working in GTRE are trained as Mechanical, Electronics, or Electrical Engineers. They see an aero engine for the first time after joining GTRE.

 

[Arin Kumar]

Manik faced a lot of hiccups, like all DRDO projects, affecting Nirbhay. But that's past. I think Manik is now rechristened STFE 4.5 and accepted for mass production after a series of successful tests. I am eagerly awaiting the fate of the Kaveri derivative, now undergoing flight tests in Russia. If it proves successful, we may try a new core for AMCA on our own.

Even the MANIK engine is overweight. The Storm Shadow cruise missile uses the Microturbo TRI 60 engine—it generates 5.7 kN and weighs 62 kg. The MANIK engine generates 4.2 kN but weighs 110 kg. We are still far behind, but we must celebrate MANIK's success—it is a good first step.