AMCA News and Discussion

Beijingwalker said:

Talks for GE’s engine for India's 5th-gen fighter project AMCA hit roadblock as US giant ‘raises cost by 3 times’​

Surendra Singh / TNN / Jun 27, 2026, 11:39 IST

NEW DELHI: India’s negotiations with US’s General Electric (GE) over the F414 fighter jet engine have hit a roadblock after the cost of the proposed US engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) rose sharply, raising concerns about timelines for the country’s most-ambitious fifth-generation fighter programme.

“The F414 engine was initially estimated to cost around Rs 70-80 crore per unit, but GE has now quoted prices almost three times higher,” a DRDO source told TOI.

Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), nodal agency for AMCA project, requires 15 F414 engines for five flying prototypes. As ADA has frozen the airframe design of AMCA around the engine, GE knows that India’s engine options for its new stealth aircraft are limited.

amca-indias-path-to-5th-gen-club.jpg


As India’s own Kaveri engine project is no more meant for the stealth fighter jet and is only confined to unmanned aerial vehicle ‘Ghatak’, govt, which has kept Rs 15,000 crore initial budget for the project, is likely to face cost escalation if it is compelled to buy the F414 engine at a higher cost.

The same F414 engine has also been planned to power the indigenous HAL-produced Tejas Mk-2.4-5-generation fighter jet later.

Under the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued last month, the final selected industry partner out of the three shortlisted companies — Tata Advanced Systems, an L&T-BEL-Dynamatic consortium, and a Bharat Forge-BEML consortium — is expected to achieve the aircraft’s maiden flight within 30 months of contract signing.

The AMCA project aims to achieve air superiority through supercruise capabilities and AI-assisted avionics. The advanced fighter will feature advanced radar-absorbent materials, serpentine air intakes, and internal weapons bays for low observability. Once ready, it will carry 1,500 kg of internal weapons and 5,500 kg externally.

The five prototypes are expected to undertake 1,800 test sorties in seven years to validate the fighter’s flight-control systems, stealth characteristics, sensors, radar, weapons integration and propulsion performance. Changing the F414 engine at this juncture is not an option with AMCA. The first batch of AMCA is expected to be ready around 2034 or 2035.

China is already operating two primary fifth-generation stealth fighter jets, Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang J-35, and Pakistan is also planning to buy 40 Chinese J-35 stealth aircraft.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ge F414 Engine Cost Increase: Talks for GE’s engine for India's 5th-gen fighter project AMCA hit roadblock as US giant ‘raises cost by 3 times’ - The Times of India

News News: NEW DELHI: India’s negotiations with US’s General Electric (GE) over the F414 fighter jet engine have hit a roadblock after the cost of the proposed U.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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lol - it is worse than just the AMCA...
 
CallSignMaverick said:
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just no, the amca is stuck with the ge-f414 and the tejas with the f404 and even then other manufacturers are getting allocations before india

best bet cut your losses and go for the m88 for both which will also power the rafales too.

the engineering base from one engine which compliments 3 aircraft is masterstroke of a move.

but then again india is india....
 
BlueMarlin said:
just no, the amca is stuck with the ge-f414 and the tejas with the f404 and even then other manufacturers are getting allocations before india

best bet cut your losses and go for the m88 for both which will also power the rafales too.

the engineering base from one engine which compliments 3 aircraft is masterstroke of a move.

but then again india is india....
Click to expand...
F414 is to be license-built in India and the aircraft is designed around it. You just can't swap engines randomly. This joint engine project is for Mk2 AMCA in future. That is 2040s.
 
CallSignMaverick said:
F414 is to be license-built in India and the aircraft is designed around it. You just can't swap engines randomly. This joint engine project is for Mk2 AMCA in future. That is 2040s.
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f414 cost went up 3x recently, and they want $400 million upfront too. and even then the sensitive hot section will still be imported from the usa.

fyi the rafale used f404 engines during development whilst the m88 was being worked.

theres plenty of examples of aircraft using different engines:t-50, f15, f16,f18 jf-17,
even the gripen went from the f404 to the 414.

important to know the engines are different but there in the same class with same or similar dimensions and thrust capabilities.
 
BlueMarlin said:
f414 cost went up 3x recently, and they want $400 million upfront too. and even then the sensitive hot section will still be imported from the usa.

fyi the rafale used f404 engines during development whilst the m88 was being worked.

theres plenty of examples of aircraft using different engines:t-50, f15, f16,f18 jf-17,
even the gripen went from the f404 to the 414.

important to know the engines are different but there in the same class with same or similar dimensions and thrust capabilities.
Click to expand...
The cost didn't went up 3x, that is a separate contract being negotiated by ADA for a few engines. And the comparison is with costs decade(s) ago. F414 is derived from F404 so dimensions aren't a constraint.
 
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