Rolls Royce offers unique co-development opportunities for fighter jet engines in India, focusing on IP ownership and local manufacturing.
Engine maker Rolls Royce, which is in talks with India for co-development of a fighter jet engine, says what they are offering is quite “unlike” others, and are “offering to co-develop and co-design, allowing India to own the Intellectual Property (IP) in India, for India for use in current as well as future programmes,” according to a senior company official.
“Another focus is building a deeper and broader aerospace ecosystem. You will have seen that we’re talking here about at least doubling our procurement and supply from India—not just for domestic needs but for global markets as well. And finally, we’re working on powering India’s growth with both stationary and mobile power solutions,” Alex Zino, Executive Vice President for Business Development and Future Programmes for Rolls-Royce (Defence) said speaking at Aero India. “We see India emerging as a key sourcing hub for us, supporting all our divisions—across gas turbines, reciprocating engines from our MTU product line, and our defence aerospace segment.”
Rolls-Royce recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Triveni Engineering and Industries Limited to collaborate on programmes for 4MW marine gas turbine generators (GTG) for customers in India, including design, development and manufacturing of the marine GTGs. This is in addition to a new partnership with GRSE for the production and localisation of its Series 4000 governmental marine engines in India, the company said.
We already have a very broad footprint, and we’re looking to expand that significantly, Mr. Zino said noting that they already manufacture a lot of parts here through a range of suppliers, as well as our own joint ventures. Today, we produce very complex parts – take the partnership with International Aerospace Manufacturing Private Limited (IAMPL), or the partnership with Force Motors, he said elaborating. If you look at IAMPL, we now have a new plant in Tamil Nadu that has grown significantly, he said adding, “We manufacture over 160 complex aerospace components there, and that facility now serves – not just Rolls-Royce and our fleet around the world – but the entire aerospace ecosystem on a global scale.”
While India is in advanced stage of talks with France for co-design and co-development of a 110 KN aero engine to power India’s fifth generation fighter, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), that is under development, it has also been holding talks with Rolls Royce for sometime. On the ongoing effort between Rolls Royce and Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), U.K. Minister of State for Defence Vernon Coaker told The Hindu at Aero India that there was a successful phase 1, and discussions are on ongoing on what’s happened and how to take that forward.
On this Mr. Zino said they still believe they have a “very compelling” proposal for co-developing and co-creating IP here in India—IP that will be owned by India. “This ensures freedom of modification and action, which is crucial for moving at pace in an operational environment and maintaining control within India’s own ecosystem.”
In addition, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and General Electric are in contract negotiations for the license manufacture of the F414 jet engines to power the Light Combat Aircraft-Mk2. The same engine will also power the AMCA through the development phase.
India and UK signed a Statement of Intent at the end of last year for developing electric propulsion for Indian Navy’s Land Platform Docks. “We’re very clear on our commitment—you might have seen that just last week, we signed an agreement through our US side on the AG 9160s, a four-megawatt generator set, with Triveni. We’re bringing that forward, and then there’s the statement of intent on the MT30 through the UK,” Mr. Zino said. We’re ready to power the first all-electric ship for the Navy using our product portfolio, he asserted.
Further, he stated that they are in conversations with the Navy about their timelines, ensuring that they ready to respond to proposals, especially in terms of which procurement category they are placed in and what the specific requirements will be. “That’s all part of the ongoing discussion. There’s no specific timeline yet,” he added.
We are very bullish about India in terms of the demand, as well as the capability that exists here in terms of engineering, supply chain, ecosystem, and manufacturing—and that is already in motion, stated Abhishek Singh, Senior VP of Business Development and Future Programmes for India and Southeast Asia, Rolls-Royce.
source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)