The armed forces and national security planners are elated with GE-HAL F-414 engine manufacturing deal as the proven high-performance engine is said to be technologically much superior to the Chinese indigenously produced jet engine WS-10, which itself is a derivative of the Russian AL-31 series engine that powers the SU-30 MKI fighters.
After talking to national security planners, former Indian Air Force chiefs and fighter pilots, the Hindustan Times has learnt that though the Chinese fighters including the J-20 are flying on derivatives of Shenyang WS-10 engines, intelligence reports and assessments indicate that the PLA Air Force is struggling with serviceability, downtime, and performance of the engine. China is now testing WS-15 engine on its J 20 aircraft, which will give the fighter a “super cruise (flying at supersonic speeds without use of afterburner and hence lowering the heat signature of the platform)” capability which is a must for a stealth fifth generation fighter.
“It is quite evident that the Chinese reverse-engineered the Russian AL-31 engine to produce the WS-10 series of jet engines. The Indian assessment based on performance of Chinese aircraft in Pakistan inventory and PLAAF aircraft shows that the engine is facing issues albeit it is flying and performing. The Chinese are prone to overstating the performance of their fighters through the state owned media,” said a former IAF chief. The PLAAF brought in the J-20 fighters into the western theatre command at the height of the stand-off in East Ladakh to counter the newly acquired Indian Rafales but the so-called fifth generation fighter did little flying and was only used to deter the IAF from any adventure.
While India too has been unsuccessfully trying to develop its own indigenous engine since 1996, the national security planners are pleased with GE's offer to produce F-414 engines in India under transfer of technology to power Tejas Mark II and perhaps upgrade it to manufacturing a higher thrust engine at a later stage. With the Tejas Mark II demonstrator with GE-414 engine ready to take to the skies next year, the IAF, DRDO and the HAL are on the same page on the high-performance capability of the American GE-414 engine.
{{/usCountry}}While India too has been unsuccessfully trying to develop its own indigenous engine since 1996, the national security planners are pleased with GE's offer to produce F-414 engines in India under transfer of technology to power Tejas Mark II and perhaps upgrade it to manufacturing a higher thrust engine at a later stage. With the Tejas Mark II demonstrator with GE-414 engine ready to take to the skies next year, the IAF, DRDO and the HAL are on the same page on the high-performance capability of the American GE-414 engine.
{{/usCountry}}“While there is no doubt that the Chinese capability on jet engine manufacturing is growing by the day, no neutral air force would buy a WS-10 engine as its first choice. Even though the Chinese system is opaque, the jet aircraft of Chinese origin with the Pakistan Air Force are facing downtime and serviceability issues. Although the proof of the pudding lies in eating, the Chinese engine would be 60 percent of what the PLAAF is projecting as they still rely on Russian fighters to show their muscle against Taiwan,” said a top fighter pilot.
With India planning to manufacture some 500 GE-414 engines to power six squadrons of Mark II fighters, the IAF should be in fighting fit condition towards the end of the decade as aircraft of Russian origin like MiG-29 fighters are phased out and the indigenous Tejas series of fighters inducted.
While India has been negotiating with the US on manufacture of F-414 jet engines under 100 per cent TOT since 2012, it was only effort by former DRDO, IAF chiefs led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that clinched the deal with Biden administration this month. No wonder it is called the Doval Deal in Washington.