France's Safran, DRDO to make India's first jet engine
What's the story
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and French firm Safran S.A. are set to jointly develop a 120 Kilo Newton (KN) jet engine for India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The project will see Safran transfer 100% of the technology, including crystal blade, to DRDO. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier emphasized the need for indigenous jet engine development in his Independence Day speech.
Development timeline
Project aims to develop 9 prototypes
The project will develop nine prototypes of fighter engines over a period of 12 years. The initial capacity of these engines will be 120KN, which will increase to 140KN by the end of the development period. This ambitious project is aimed at making India self-reliant in defense technology and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for critical military hardware.
Technology transfer
India currently relies on foreign suppliers
The development of this jet engine is a major step toward achieving indigenous aircraft engine technology in India. Currently, India relies on foreign suppliers such as the US and Russia for aircraft engines. Although the US is supplying 212 F-404 engines to India, it only offers a 70% technology transfer of GE-414 mills. In contrast, France has been a reliable partner in providing defense technology to India without strategic disruptions.
Strategic partnership
France has been a consistent partner to India
France has been a consistent partner to India in defense technology, providing state-of-the-art systems and spare parts for Mirage 2000 fighters. The co-development of the 120-140KN engine with Safran will enhance India's strategic autonomy and reduce dependence on third countries for power projection. This project is expected to revolutionize India's defense capabilities by enabling the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Navy to operate advanced fighter jets with indigenous engines.