The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : New engine for Tejas: GE F414 or EJ200?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

New engine for Tejas: GE F414 or EJ200?

Ravi Sharma

BANGALORE: The K.V.L. Rao committee tasked with finding a new engine for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will be submitting its report to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on July 31 in New Delhi. Official sources in the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the DRDO laboratory that is behind the Rs. 5,500-crore Tejas programme, said that the committee’s chairman Dr. Rao will be making a presentation of the report prior to submitting it. The Hindu has reliably learnt that the Rao committee is recommending that the ADA choose between American aerospace major General Electric’s GE F414 engine and the European military aero-engine consortium, Eurojet Turbo’s EJ200. The ADA is expected to send a request for proposals to the two manufacturers. The latest requirement of The Indian Air Force is for an engine capable of delivering a thrust close to 100 kilo Newton (kN).

The ADA is expected to make an initial order for 80 engines at an expected cost of $500 million, with the likelihood of a follow on order of 80 more. While a few engines will be delivered built by the original equipment manufacturer, the majority are to be manufactured in India, under a licence production / transfer of technology agreement. The GE F414 and the EJ200 are proven combat engines with the former powering the F-18 Hornet and the EJ200 the Eurofighter Typhoon. Experts say that though the EJ200 is lighter and more fuel efficient, it is more expensive than the F414.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka