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General Electric Eager to Power India's 5th Gen Fighter Jet

General Electric Eager to Power India's 5th Gen Fighter Jet

Time of Indiaa day ago

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US' General Electric (GE) will vie for the contract to make engines for the Indian Air Force 's fifth-generation stealth fighter or advanced medium combat aircraft , chairman and chief executive Larry Culp told ET in an interview.Culp said the aerospace major considers India a strategically important market for both the civil and defence aerospace businesses.'We are very interested,' he said. 'If you look at what we're doing with the Tejas with our 404 engines, we are right in the middle of probably what matters most in that regard. The US and India enjoy a very strong relationship. So we are here, we want to be supportive and are engaged so we possibly can be.'Last month, India announced a long-awaited plan to fast-track the development of an indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter. The announcement came days after Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.One of the most critical components—a high-thrust engine—will likely be developed through a joint venture with a foreign manufacturer. GE will face competition on this from rivals such as Safran and Rolls-Royce.GE is also stepping up the delivery of jet engines to plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) for the Tejas Mark-1A fighter, which has been much delayed. In March, GE delivered the first of 99 F-404 engines, around two years behind schedule.'That is our intent and we've communicated that to everyone,' Culp said. 'We are working with the suppliers to ramp their capability. We're making good progress. I just look at April and May of this year compared to where we were in the first quarter—we've seen a double-digit increase in the number of receipts.'IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh recently voiced concerns about delays in the procurement of critical military platforms.Both military programmes and commercial airline sales are increasingly being delayed due to the inability of manufacturers to ramp up production. Culp said that though multiple actions are being taken to lessen the impact, it will be a while before the problem is solved.'We are making a tremendous amount of progress not only in GE but across the industry,' he said. 'But when you look at the demand expectations that only increase every year, we're going to be talking about supply chain for a while. That's just the nature of the challenge where we are in a super cycle.'GE will also look to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for civilian aircraft engines in India once the volume increases. 'I think that's more a matter of when, as opposed to if,' he said. 'We want to make sure we have the underlying volume in the marketplace that would support those investments.'GE has more than 1,400 engines operating in India, powering both narrow and wide body aircraft and an order book for around 2,500 more. 'The number is sufficient to say that India is a priority country for us,' Culp said.If you look at what we're doing with the Tejas with 404 engines, we are right in the middle of probably what matters most... The US and India enjoy a very strong relationship. So we are here, we want to be supportive.

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Can debt-ridden Pakistan afford to hike its defence budget?
Can debt-ridden Pakistan afford to hike its defence budget?

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Can debt-ridden Pakistan afford to hike its defence budget?

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Jairam Ramesh slams PM Modi for ‘failing to protect dignity of India and Indians'
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Jairam Ramesh slams PM Modi for ‘failing to protect dignity of India and Indians'

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Rudram, Astra, SAAW...bad news for Pakistan, China, indigenous missile trinity to arm..., it can travel...
Rudram, Astra, SAAW...bad news for Pakistan, China, indigenous missile trinity to arm..., it can travel...

India.com

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Rudram, Astra, SAAW...bad news for Pakistan, China, indigenous missile trinity to arm..., it can travel...

New Delhi: In a major development, the Modi government has taken a major step to strengthen India's defense abilities. According to the reports, the Indian Navy's 26 Rafale-M jets and the Indian Air Force's (IAF) 36 Rafale jets will now be equipped with three indigenous missiles — Rudram-1, Astra Mk1, and the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). In this article, we will discuss the Rafale jets and its features. The Indian Navy bought 26 Rafale-M jets for whopping 7 billion euros (around Rs 60,000 crore). The Indian Air Force (IAF) already has 36 Rafale jets. These jets will now be equipped with Indian missiles, which will double the strength of both the Navy and the IAF. Rudram-1: Rudram-1 is a missile designed to target enemy radar and communication systems. Rudram-1 has been developed by DRDO. Rudram-1 has a range of 150 kilometers and a 200-kilogram warhead It can destroy enemy radars from a distance. It is specifically designed for 'Suppression of Enemy Air Defense' (SEAD) missions. Astra Mk1: Astra Mk1 is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile with a range of 110 kilometers. Astra Mk1 was developed at a cost of just Rs 10 crore, making it cheaper than the American AIM-120 AMRAAM, which has a range of 105–120 kilometers. India has built a deadly missile at a lower cost. This missile can target enemy aircraft from a long distance. It can be mounted on jets like the Su-30MKI and Tejas. SAAW SAAW, or Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, is designed to destroy enemy airfields. It has a range of 100 kilometers and is precision-guided, meaning it hits targets with pinpoint accuracy. Dassault Aviation's Stance Dassault Aviation, the maker of Rafale jets, was initially unwilling to share the source code. But India firmly insisted on integrating these missiles with Rafales to reduce dependency on foreign weaponry. Now, Rafale jets equipped with Rudram-1, Astra Mk1, and SAAW will further strengthen India's defense. This will not only enhance our air power but also free us from relying on foreign arms. In the near future, these missiles will leave our enemies shocked and rattled.

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