India has decided to join hands with France under a government to government deal to jointly design and manufacture a new 120 kilonewton (KN) engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) that New Delhi is aspiring to induct by 2036.
The collaboration with France to co-develop a new powerful jet engine for its indigenous fifth generation stealth fighter and other futuristic platforms, which will further bolster the already expansive strategic partnership between the two countries, according to a report by The Times of India.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will soon move the Cabinet committee on security for the approval of the ambitious project with French major Safran.
"DRDO has cleared the proposal by Safran, which already makes a variety of helicopter engines in India, as the best option for the twin-engine fifth-generation fighter called AMCA (advanced medium combat aircraft). The project, with DRDO's lab Gas Turbine Research Establishment, would cost almost $7 billion," an official said, TOI reported.
At The Economic Times World Leaders Forum in Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also confirmed the impending project. “Today, we have also taken steps forward in the direction of building Fifth Generation fighter aircraft. We have also moved towards manufacturing the aircraft’s engine in India itself. We are about to start engine manufacturing work in India with the French company Safran,” he said.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), working under the Defence Ministry, has finalised AMCA's paper design and is preparing five prototypes. The rollout is planned for 2027, with a clear roadmap leading to flight testing in 2028 and induction around 2036.
This comes after the Defence Ministry in May finally approved a new "programme execution model" for prototype development of the 25-tonne AMCA, with greater private sector participation.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to induct seven squadrons (126 jets) of the expensive AMCA, with the first two squadrons powered by the American GE-F414 engines and the next five with 120 kilonewton engines.
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