By Girish Linganna
Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), an aircraft design and development agency constituted under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is one of the developers of the indigenous fifth-generation combat aircraft, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), and it will be soon finalising a 110 KN jet engine to power the fighter. There is much speculation as to which manufacturer will bag the prized contract.
Privilege To Fly: Why India Needs To Buy?
With India in a mature stage of the Atma Nirbharta (self-reliance), one would correctly seek an answer to why not build our jet engine. Jet engine technology is often guarded even more fiercely than nuclear reactor technology. With more than thirty thousand parts, cutting-edge metallurgical research, and expertise in precise forging, casting and machining, it is near impossible for someone to develop it single-handedly. Further, given that the engine ensures the flight of expensive hardware in critical battles and carries the priceless lives of many, it needs to undergo rigorous testing in wind tunnels, testbeds, etc. Even China, which has made combat jet engines of its own, faces challenges with power reliability and maintenance of its jet engines like the WS-10 powering its Mighty Dragon fighter.
India has never been the one to shy away from challenges. India did initiate a project of its own to develop a jet engine in-house, Project Kaveri. The project produced nine prototypes and four core engines. It was explicitly pitched by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) for the HAL Tejas. However, it was unable to meet the needs eventually. However, GTRE maintains that this 30-year stint has helped them in more ways than one, including being able to repurpose the Kaveri engine for drones.
Currently, India can acquire the technology to manufacture the engine in the Rafales from Safran, the French engine manufacturer. But at its one billion euros cost, it is a painful reminder of the lack of this crucial technology.
Major General Rajan Kochhar (r.) emphasises the need for engine technology, “India needs engine technology for its proposed homegrown advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), which is still on the drawing board. Availability of a higher thrust advanced engine would kick-start the AMCA program, under which India proposes to build medium combat aircraft similar to the Rafale, which it is buying from France.”
Quadrumvirate Of Jet Engines
The global aviation market is dominated by four engine makers: General Electric (GE), Pratt & Whitney (P&W), Rolls Royce and Safran. These four and their various subsidiaries and joint ventures virtually control the market. There has been intense competition amongst these as the never-ending race for better fuel efficiency, and less polluting engines is heating up.
GE is an American multinational that operates in various sectors: aviation, healthcare, power, renewable energy, digital industry, additive manufacturing, and venture capital and finance. GE is one of the oldest jet engine manufacturing companies and one of the two major jet engine giants in the United States, the other being Pratt and Whitney.
GE already has various engines in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy. GE has been key to India’s self-reliance bid as it powers the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAS), INS Vikrant, and the first fighter jet, HAL LCA Tejas. GE also partnered with the Tata Group to manufacture components for its CFM International LEAP engines.
GE has submitted a proposal that overrides 2019 export control concerns and seeks to co-develop a 110 KN fighter jet engine for the AMCA.
P&W is also an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Their aircraft engines are used in both civil and military aviation. P&W’s India story started only a decade ago. They are expanding their presence by setting up their India Engineering Centre in Bangalore. They have also established a customer training centre and India Capability Centre, only their third in the world. They also partnered with Air India to provide Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services in the region.
Already, P&W powers IAF’s C295 aircraft, CSIR-NAL’s SARAS MKI aircraft and the Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS). IAF has selected the C295 from Airbus Defence and Security (ADS), which has P&W engines. C295 is globally recognised as the next generation of Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) and light and medium transport aircraft.
British and highly eponymous brand Rolls-Royce holds around 18% of the engine market share. The manufacturer makes engines exclusively for widebody aircraft, with the A330, A340, A350, A380, 777, and 787 featuring RR engines. Jaguar fighter jet, trainer Hawk aircraft, C-130J Super Hercules and Arjun main battle tanks are some of the Indian arsenals powered by RR. RR now seeks co-creation with India, where it will also own the intellectual property, irrespective of where the engine is used or manufactured.
RR is looking to expand its presence in India, and it is also looking at providing marine engines already being used by the American and British navies, amongst others.
Safran is a French multinational that designs, develops and manufactures aircraft engines, rocket engines, and various aerospace and defence-related equipment or components.
In June, Safran submitted a proposal to co-develop with DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) a 110 KN engine for the AMCA. However, nothing has been confirmed yet. Safran engines also power the Rafales that India has recently procured. Safran placed a price of one billion euros for the technology transfer of the jet engines used in the Rafale. However, Safran has been closely working with India for a while now. HAL and Safran have developed the Shakti engine, which powers India’s Dhruv and Light Combat Helicopters with the Army and the IAF. Recently, Safran’s CEO met with the Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, to discuss greater cooperation between the two. Safran and HAL also signed a deal to set up a new company in India to develop helicopter engines.
Maj Gen. Harsha Kakar (r.) puts it best: “The Indian market is growing. Joining it from the design stage will give these developers a head start. Expenditures in India are far lower than in the West, and technology and qualified personnel exist in India.”
Joining him in this enthusiasm, Lieutenant Colonel JS Sodhi (r.), a renowned defence & strategic affairs analyst concurs in his observation, “This collaboration will provide an opportunity to international players in this field to expand their book orders and be part of history in the making as only three countries in the world USA, Russia, and France, manufacture fighter jets and India will be shortly joining this elite club. India has a huge workforce, cheap labour and qualified professionals in this field which will give the international firms a great opportunity to boost their balance sheets.”
The AMCA contract is hotly contested between the four giants of aviation. P&W and RR seek to increase their foothold, while GE and Safran already enjoy a more significant partnership. With multiple explicit co-development and technology transfer offers with the Ministry of Defence, it is hard to tell who will bag the prize. Given the history of GE and how it leads the global market, make it a front runner for now.
According to Lt Col JS Sodhi (r.), even the Indian partners are winners in such a co-development program. “For the domestic engine manufacturers, such a deal will propel them into a different league as they will now be able to compete in the international market. This deal will boost Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives announced by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, which has already propelled India to the top 25 arms exporting nations in the world.”, he added.
Girish Linganna is an Aerospace and Defence Analyst & Director ADD Engineering Components (India) Pvt Ltd. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Indian Aerospace & Defence
