French jet engine maker Safran is ready for 100% technology transfer of a jet engine to India for powering the latter’s fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, a senior Indian official said on January 26.
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| HAL Tejas from No. 18 Squadron IAF |
India's ambassador to France, Javed Ashraf, said Safran is eager to transfer technology. On January 26, Ashraf addressed the media during the official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India to participate in the annual Republic Day parade in New Delhi.
India and France are currently discussing a collaboration between Safran and India's Defense Research and Development Organization. In July 2023, during an official visit to Paris, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the two countries would create a roadmap for a joint fighter jet engine development project by the end of the year. However, no official roadmap has been announced yet.
Ashraf said the main focus of the talks now is "aligning the engine specifications with the future needs of India's fighter jet". He said that India is looking for a holistic approach to technology transfer that goes beyond mere transfer of manufacturing technology.
"The purpose of this contract is to examine the actual design steps, metallurgical aspects and other important elements that will help in the development of advanced jet engines." Ashraf said: The negotiations regarding this agreement, he admitted that this agreement is complicated and exists to overcome the complexity. The need to find common ground to meet the overall objectives of India's military requirements.
Safran, a leading player in the aerospace industry, is keen to collaborate with the Indian Institute of Military Research in various phases of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, including design development, certification and production.
Once the negotiations are concluded and the contract signed between the French company and the Indian side, it will be similar to the one that India signed recently to meet the unmet demand for jet engines for its fighter jet projects. This is the second case.
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| Indian Prime Minister Modi with French President Macron in Jaipur during the latter’s State visit to India on January 25, 2024. (AFP) |
Safran for AMCA, GE for Tejas Mk2
In June 2022, during Modi's official visit to the United States, American jet engine manufacturer General Electric announced in a media statement that GE Aerospace had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture fighter jet engines for the US. Indian Air Force.
In addition to potentially creating new work in India, the GE deal would help several US facilities currently supporting work on the additional displacement F414 engine; as a result, GE said at the time.
While the deal with Safran would in future meet India's jet engine requirements for its futuristic twin-engine AMCA project, the deal with GE would see the needs of another futuristic combat aircraft – in this case the Mk2 variant of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.
India has already decided that its Tejas LCA Mk2 aircraft will be equipped with the GE F414 jet engine, as well as its LCA Mk1A, of which HAL in Bangalore would build 180 aircraft. GE F404 jet engines power the LCA Mk1 jets, 40 of which are already in service with the Indian Air Force and are operationally deployed in two squadrons.
The agreement with GE includes the potential joint production of F414 engines in India. Eight F414 engines were delivered as part of the ongoing development program for the LCA Mk2. "The latest agreement reinforces GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program."
GE began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India's light combat aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines in 1986. Subsequently, GE Aerospace's F404 and F414 were part of the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 development and production programs. . GE delivered 75 F404 engines; another 99 are on order for the LCA Mk1A.
Indian Tryst with jet engine technology
Jet engine technology is one of the significant gaps in the capabilities of India's DRDO, as its subsequent efforts have failed to produce a sufficiently powerful jet engine. The current effort, jointly with Safran, would be called the 'Sakthi' engine project when it bears fruit.
In its previous effort, starting in 1986, India attempted to develop a jet engine from scratch using turbofan technology, called the "Kaveri" project under DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE). A turbocharged powerplant should provide adequate thrust for the aircraft to achieve atmospheric gliding and super maneuver ability.
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File Image: GE414 aero engine |
The $53 million Kaveri project was part of the Tejas fighter jet project. Although 17 Kaveri engine prototypes were planned, the first offering could only receive the core module called "Kabini." The third prototype was the first to receive variable inlet guide vanes on the first three compressor stages and had its first run in 1995.
In 1996, the first full run of the Kaveri engine took place and all five prototypes were tested in ground tests in 1998. Initial flight tests were scheduled for 1999 and the test on the Tejas was to take place in 2000. However, the sanctions that followed the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998 , resulted in the Kaveri project being slowed down due to difficulties in acquiring technology.
The Kaveri project continued in sprints until mid-2004, when a failure in a high-altitude test in Russia ended all hopes of the engine making it aboard the Tejas aircraft. By then, the Kaveri engine had completed 1,700 hours of testing.
The Kaveri engine was again sent to Russia in 2008 for its second high-altitude test, although in 2007 GTRE decided to split the project into two separate programs. The K9+ program was a proof of concept in complete design and for integration and flight test experience, and the K10 program was the final production variant through foreign collaboration.
After various trials and tribulations, India announced a collaboration with Safran in 2016 to make the Kaveri engines worthy of the Tejas fighter. However, the plan has now shifted to make the Kaveri ready to power India's indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicles in the future.