The defence ministry has recommended a collaboration with France to develop next-generation fighter jet engines, marking a breakthrough for the mega project that will bring advanced manufacturing and design technologies and is a key step towards self-reliance.
Sources said after a consultative process, which included feedback from stakeholders and a technical committee that went deep into all aspects of fighter jet engine manufacturing, a decision has been taken to recommend a collaboration with France, as the proposal was found to be more beneficial for India.
Under the ₹61,000 crore project, India will jointly develop a 120kn fighter jet engine that will be used for future platforms, including the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA). Defence minister Rajnath Singh has been a key driver behind plans to develop an indigenous fighter engine and its manufacturing ecosystem in India.
The ministry evaluated offers from France’s Safran and UK’s Rolls Royce, with experts going into the technical aspects as well as potential costs. The French offer, with complete technology transfer, had also been made earlier, with Safran suggesting a roadmap that would match the development timeframe of AMCA.
As things stand, the first batch of AMCA may need to be fitted with US-made GE 414 engines, while efforts will go on parallelly to develop an indigenous power plant. An engine is at the very core of a fighter aircraft and few nations around the world have mastered the technology. By conservative estimates, India will require well over 250 next-generation engines in the coming decade.
At present, all Indian fighter jets are powered by foreign-origin engines. A significant cost of a fighter goes towards engine and its maintenance. India has made efforts to develop its own engine under project Kaveri but it could not lead to a conclusion as the engine was not found to generate adequate thrust. A derivative of the Kaveri is now being developed to power unmanned combat aerial vehicles.
India is also in talks for technology transfer with the US for the GE414 INS6 engine that will be used to power the Mk2 version of light combat aircraft. Negotiations have not yet been concluded, with India looking for over 80% tech transfer including coating for the hot end of the engine as well as crystal blades and laser drilling tech.
