Kaveri’s failure to Safran’s jet engine breakthrough: How India is taking a BIG leap towards self-reliance

After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced making India's every sector, along with defence, a self-reliant one, the country is likely to approve the development of an indigenous 120 Kilo Newton engine, which will power India’s twin-engine Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighter. The project will be jointly designed and developed by French firm Safran S.A. and India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), according to a report in HT.

Earlier, India already had an initiative in the name of 'Kaveri engine project' for developing an engine indigenously to produce a high-thrust turbofan engine for the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) and other military platforms. The project was India's ambitious, long-term initiative, launched in the 1980s by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Kaveri engine project failure

The original Kaveri engine project was formally shut down and separated from the Tejas fighter jet program in 2008 after the engine continuously failed to meet the required thrust levels, experienced excessive weight, and suffered from technical challenges and sanctions post-1998. These shortcomings led to the adoption of Western GE engines for the Tejas and the reorientation of the Kaveri project into a new "Dry Kaveri" variant for unmanned aerial vehicles (UCAVs).

Against this backdrop, the collaboration of India with France’s Safran has emerged as a potential game-changer. During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India in 2023, both nations advanced discussions on co-developing a new fighter jet engine. As per the Economic Times report, Safran has offered full technology transfer, a critical factor given India’s dependence on foreign suppliers like GE (United States) and Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom) for propulsion technology.

France's Safran’s jet engine breakthrough

According to a report in HT, within a time frame of 12 years, France's Safran-GTRE will develop nine prototypes of fighter engines, initially with 120 KN power, but it will go up in capacity to 140 KN by the end of the 12-year time period. These jet engines will be developed under Indian IPR, with Safran transferring 100% of the technology to DRDO.

The interesting part of this engine is that the blades used in it are usually constructed from a single crystal using super-alloys, which are efficient, long-lasting. Its technology also copes better with higher heat and stress. The engine capacity lying between 120-140 KN will empower the twin-engine advanced multi-role aircraft (AMCA), which will be developed and produced by the Indian private sector with the Tata group, L&T and Adani Defence for the national effort.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the need for an indigenous aircraft engine, calling it a top-tier defence technology with major civilian applications. Currently, countries like the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France have the ability to design, develop and manufacture such engines. But shockingly, even after having advanced technology, China still remain dependent on Russian-made or reverse-engineered engines for its frontline fighter jets.

Currently, only the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France possess the capability to design, develop, and manufacture such engines. Even China, despite its advances, still relies on Russian-made or reverse-engineered engines for its frontline fighter jets.

For India, the design, development, and joint production of these engines would be a strategic game-changer, ensuring that the Indian Air Force is no longer dependent on any foreign country for fighter aircraft propulsion and power projection.