By A Correspondent

New Delhi: India has initiated a fresh bid to locally develop an aeroengine that could power indigenous future combat jets, with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) seeking interest from domestic aerospace and defence technology firms to partner in the project.

The DRDO’s Expression of Interest (EOI) documents were released recently to search and identiy Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPP) for the project named ‘Advanced High Thrust Class Engine’ (AHTCE), according to Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials.

The company selected through this effort would support DRDO in designing, developing, manufacturing, integrating, testing, and certifying the next-generation indigenous gas turbine aeroengine, according to the EOI documents.

Those firms expressing interest would have the freedom to partner with foreign aeroengine makers, such as France’s Safran, United Kingdom’s Rolls-Royce, USA’s GE Aerospace, and Japan’s IHI, who would assist them in the development of the 120kN aeroengine. 

DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), the nation’s prime agency for aeroengine  research, would lead the design and development of the 120kN aeroengine.

The selected firm would be the Indian prime partner for industrial execution of the project, and be enabler to turn the GRTE’s technical inputs into a deployable, flight-worthy aeroengine.

“This includes tooling, manufacturing engineering, special processes, inspection systems, engine assembly, subsystem testing and final integration,” the EOI said.

These partners would get to manufacture and assemble the compressor, combustor, turbine, afterburner, gearbox, oil, and fuel systems. The Indian firm would support GTRE through detailed engineering, 2D drawings, 3D models, design iterations, and configuration.

They would also manufacture components, sub-assemblies, and modules, including raw material procurement. GTRE would take on the role of the design authority under the project and would provide engineering data and materials support.

At present, India is dependent on France, United Kingdom, Russia, and the US to power its indigenous miliary aircraft. India’s ‘Tejas’ Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) variants are powered by the 84kN GE F404 and 98kN F414 aeroegines.

But its futuristic Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) would need up to 120kN aeroengines, and hence the DRDO’s bid to develop one locally, officials said.

India has projected that it would require around 500 indigenous combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy soon. This requirement would make the aeroengine project and its subsequent production commercially viable.

Being major growing defence industrial base and a supplier to the global market, India’s inability to develop and produce a deployable aeroengine of its own would dent its self-reliance efforts and leave its aerspace industrial capability incomplete.

For decades, India was pursuing the ‘Kaveri’ aeroengine, in partnership with French aeroengine maker Safran in its previous avatar.

But the project faced disruptions due to the engine’s inability to produce the desired thrust, and restricting itself to less than 50kN thrust.

Now, India has adopted the Kaveri engine to power its DRDO-developed ‘Ghatak’ unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV).

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