Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Lethe

Captain
Just thought I would share this intriguing photo that
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to depict the visit of an Indian delegation to General Electric's plant in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1985. Folks may spot some familiar figures on the left. While I have not been able to directly confirm that this visit took place, it is entirely plausible, in that there was substantial US-Indian diplomatic activity in 1985 under Reagan and Rajiv Gandhi, including in relation to the transfer of
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, and S. Jaishankar was indeed posted to India's embassy in Washington at that time. Moreover, GE dates its own involvement with India's LCA program
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.

F8dAwKRa0AAih0f.jpg
 
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GiantPanda

Junior Member
Registered Member
Just thought I would share this intriguing photo that
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to depict the visit of an Indian delegation to General Electric's plant in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1985.
View attachment 159610

The Kaveri and LCA (everything from FBW to the radome nose cone) have had massive amount of help from both the West and Russia over four decades to get to the heights of where they are today:

A MiG-21 equivalent point defense fighter in 2025 that still waits on a foreign powerplant and a domestic engine that still can't power it.
 

_killuminati_

Senior Member
Registered Member
Just thought I would share this intriguing photo that
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
to depict the visit of an Indian delegation to General Electric's plant in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1985. Folks may spot some familiar figures on the left. While I have not been able to directly confirm that this visit took place, it is entirely plausible, in that there was substantial US-Indian diplomatic activity in 1985 under Reagan and Rajiv Gandhi, including in relation to the transfer of
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, and S. Jaishankar was indeed posted to India's embassy in Washington at that time. Moreover, GE dates its own involvement with India's LCA program
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
.

View attachment 159610
Some more info here about the visit,
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  • Only had enough money to buy 12 F-404, no tech transfer.
  • Names of visiting officials.
  • RB199 was considered first but terms unsuitable.
  • Russians refused outright.
 

gelgoog

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
In 1985 it would have been the Soviet Union. They typically offered whole systems not components.
 

Lethe

Captain
So they had 40 years to do the tech transfer? And nothing?

Ah well.

I haven't read anything to suggest that technology transfer was ever sought for F404 to equip LCA Mk. 1 IOC/FOC/1A. It is still not sought in relation to the second tranche of Mk. 1A production that is currently being negotiated. These are acquisition contracts only. The notion was that F404 would power LCA across the development phase before being substituted with GTRE's Kaveri engine, similar to how developmental Rafale first flew with F404 before Snecma's M88 engine was ready. Ongoing lack of progress with GTRE's Kaveri engine led to F404 being progressively further integrated into LCA production plans over the course of the 2000s, but still on an acquisition-only basis. The technology transfer saga begins only in the late 2000s, amidst the clear failure of Kaveri and in relation both to paths forward for that program, and requirements for future programs such as LCA Mk. 2 and AMCA.

Some more info here about the visit,
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This link was in my previous post....

Incidentally, this visit appears to have occurred in September 1985:

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In September 1985, the Science Adviser to the Defense Ministry, Dr. Arunachalam, a key figure in India's defense industry, visited a number of US defense plants as part of the continuing exploration of possible US collaboration in the LCA. In the end, the Indians expressed interest in procuring the General Electric 404 engine as the initial power plant for their next-generation fighter. Used in the F-18, the GE 404 was one of the most advanced US aircraft engines. Early approval in principle by the Pentagon and the White House for its sale to India was a tangible sign of the more forthcoming US stance on security cooperation with India.

V. S. Arunachalam is fourth from the right in the photo above.
 
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