India's Aeronautical Development Agency has issued requests for proposal to General Electric and the Eurojet consortium for a higher-thrust engine to power the proposed MkII version of its Tejas light combat aircraft.
The companies have until 12 October to respond to the request with information on their respective F414 and EJ200 turbofans, with New Delhi looking to buy 99 engines and take an option on another 49. The first few engines will be bought in a fly-away condition, with the rest to be assembled or produced by Hindustan Aeronautics.
The Tejas's current GE F404-IN20 falls short of delivering the 20,000lb (90kN) output required to meet the operational requirements of the Indian air force. The service recently rejected a proposal under which a Western supplier would have helped complete the development of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment's indigenous Kaveri.
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Source: Flight International
