Air India buying 100 more Airbus planes
Air India on Monday confirmed it has placed an order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft, comprising 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 aircraft, including A321neo.
Gas Turbine Research Establishment– a DRDO lab involved in the development of indigenous engines– would be part of the proposed deal with American GE for manufacturing jet engines in India, which would help them gain expertise in the field, government officials said.
The officials said the American firm in an “unprecedented move” is sharing manufacturing technology for engines which is 80 per cent by cost. GTRE is a Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratory based in Bengaluru and has developed the Kaveri engine which was supposed to originally power the LCA Tejas aircraft variants.
Due to delays in the project, India has been forced to go for the GE-404 engines for the initial 113 LCA aircraft and GE-414s for the LCA Mark 2 and the fifth generation planes planned to be produced in India.
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Government officials said, subsequently the percentage of the Transfer of Technologies (ToT) is expected to increase further.
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With this Transfer of Technology, the parts will be made in the country and GTRE will be receiving all the know-how including that of processes and coatings for the crystal blades etc will be transferred.
Officials said the proposed ToT is unprecedented and GE has not transferred this level of ToT even to their NATO allies.
India has plans of going in for another bigger jet aircraft engine to power its futuristic versions of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft for which it has been in talks with the French side.
However, the present status of the talks between the two sides on the matter is not clear.
The deal may be announced during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in the coming week.
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