General Electric is set to produce jet engines for the Indian Air Force’s new fighter aircraft, Reuters reports. This partnership is meant to address India’s technology gaps, where it will produce what it can with Indian firms while contracting more complex parts to firms like GE locally, all the while acquiring the technology to one day build everything with domestic companies like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
India’s military currently fields an eclectic variety of equipment, coming from the United States, NATO countries, Russia, and domestically produced weapons. As a rising world power, India is trending towards producing its equipment at home while collaborating with friendly nations through technology transfers. India had already started to pivot away from a reliance on Russian military equipment when in 2019, it acquired its first French made Rafale fighter aircraft, equivalent to 4+ Generation aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet.
The continued war in Ukraine has put great stress on Russia’s ability to export arms, and India’s desire to produce its own arms make this partnership with GE ideal for both American and Indian arms manufacturers. Still, American and Indian relations are complex, as India is silently supporting Russia and serving its own national interests by purchasing Russian oil and gas at a discount and continuing joint military exercises. India’s alignment with the US defense industry makes sense, as both nations see China as their main competitor in the region.
