Indian Engine RFP Expected This Week
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By Neelam Mathews
NEW DELHI — The long-awaited request for proposals (RFP) to provide 99-125 engines for the Indian Air Force’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft is expected to be released this week.
Proposals for the two candidate engines — GE’s F414 and Eurojet’s EJ200 — will be due by Oct. 12 if the RFP is released on July 17.
In October 2007, Eurojet signed a nondisclosure agreement with the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is developing the LCA and evaluating alternatives to the GE F404 engine powering the Tejas prototypes and initial production aircraft.
A senior official of Eurojet says it will transfer data under the agreement to India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), which is responsible for developing the indigenous Kaveri engine planned for the LCA.
“We have interest in doing more with GTRE. However, we shall wait for milestones to be reached,” an official says. “Once you have a ticket to ride….synergies [with other projects] are quite natural, though the customer might think different.”
With severe delays to the Kaveri program and performance limitations with the initial LCA, the Indian air force is keen to push ahead with an off-the-shelf engine acquisition. Former air force chief Fali Homi Major said early this year: “We need five squadrons of the Mk2 LCAs. When integrated with the new engines, the LCA Mk2 should fly in 2013.”
The GE414 powers the Boeing F/A-18E/F and Saab Gripen NG, while the EJ200 powers the Eurofighter Typhoon. All three aircraft are contenders in India’s 126-aircraft multirole fighter competition now under way.
“Our engine needs minimum changes and will not delay the LCA,” the Eurojet official said.
F414 Photo: Volvo
