Vips, along with what Russia/Sukhoi did....RR also remembers quite well what happened in the Rafale deal and with the JETJWG with the US. India was naïve enough to believe that the JETJWG with GE or the Rafale offset obligation with Safran would work. Neither bore any fruit.
The IAF does not want the GE F414 on the AMCA, beyond the first two squadrons. We all understand the IAF's apprehensions in not having a large portion of the fleet with GE turbofans. The IAF's apprehensions on the unstable foreign policy of the US is valid. They even said so clearly in the CAG report on MMRCA. And collaboration with a foreign (non US) partner - to develop a 110 kN turbofan - is also fine. But when RR states that they will provide full transfer of technology and intellectual property for said turbofan, that should raise the alarm bell.
When deliverables are not met by RR, India will be back at square one. RR knows that quite well and also realizes that the other manufacturers will do the same to India. At that point, whatever money (even if it is $250 million) invested will be lost. RR will not transfer anything of value to India. If this collaboration goes through, what will happen is RR will develop the core tech behind closed doors. We will assemble the turbofan and pay royalty to RR for that core tech in every turbofan manufactured. But in the annual MoD brochure and in written replies to Parliament, the GOI will state that the 110 kN turbofan is an Indian one. This is like HAL's claim that the AL-31FP turbofan is manufactured from raw materials in India.
Don't get me wrong. Collaboration is a good strategy, if the technology is being transferred. Why would RR transfer such technology and IP, when GE and Safran would not? In the JETJWG meetings, the main goal of GE was to find out from GTRE...how far along in the technology curve was the Kaveri turbofan. And if money is the motivating factor for RR, Amreeka will gladly lift it out of its financial doldrums or even better, just buy out RR's aircraft engine division and divide the spoils between GE and P&W. They will not allow China to do a similar collaboration with RR and neither will they allow India to do it. Why bottle feed and nurse, a future competitor?
Vips wrote:If it does not have serious intention of sharing TOT then any any engine manufacturer will make just some amount of money from India before its game will be up and i do not think they will risk being black listed or being permanently out of military business worth billions with India.
With turbofans, there is little risk. Take a look at all the current combat air platforms out there. The companies are many (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Airbus, Dassault, Saab, BAe)....but the turbofans come from one of four sources - General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce and Safran.
Who all is India going to blacklist? That is not an effective strategy. And blacklisting will affect the civil airline industry as well. All the turbofans that power the A320s, A330s, B777s, B737s, etc either come from Rolls Royce, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney or Safran.
Vips wrote:RR will not be swayed by GE or PW or Snecma's pressure tactics in taking a decision. They do not have that kind of leverage on RR especially if they are gaining advantage from getting business from India.
GE, P&W or Safran do not have to do anything. Their govts will do it for them.
Vips wrote:If Uncle Sam puts the pressure then yes it is a different ball game.
If there ever existed an animated Pictionary book to describe the nations of today, this is what the UK would look like "geopolitically" in that book. At one point in time, the Sun never set on the British Empire. How the tables have turned on the UK!