New Delhi: According to S. V. Ramana Murthy, Director of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a top defense lab under the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), India will need around 1,100 fighter jet engines for different military aviation programs by 2035.
Murthy, who is in charge of developing India’s own fighter engines, said that the estimated cost of these engines is around ₹65,400 crore, which includes both the aircraft that are currently being developed and those that would be developed in the future.
Murthy remarked at a defense industry event in New Delhi, “We need to work on a mission mode to create an ecosystem for indigenous fighter engine development.”
Need for a domestic engine ecosystem
India has long wanted to make its own engine for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, but it has met a lot of problems. The Kaveri engine program, which started decades ago, has not yet been able to work because of ongoing technological problems.
Murthy stressed the importance of a coordinated national effort to create a strong environment for making fighter aircraft engines. This would include building high-altitude testing facilities, improving infrastructure, and building a strong industrial base.
He said that a version of the Kaveri engine might be used to power India’s next unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) program. This fits with the country’s goal of becoming more self-sufficient in defense technologies.
Partnerships around the world for advanced engines
India is working hard to get other countries to help them build an upgraded engine for their next-generation stealth fighter plane, the upgraded Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Safran (France), Rolls-Royce (UK), and General Electric (USA), three of the biggest names in aerospace, are very interested in working with GTRE to develop and build the engine together.
Indian defense sources say that the AMCA, India’s first 5th-generation stealth fighter, will have a prototype ready by 2028.
The Private Sector’s Role in Developing Fighter Jets
The Indian government has made a big change to its policy: for the first time, private companies will be able to help make fighter jets. The goal of this initiative is to make India less reliant on Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which makes most of the country’s military planes.
The choice is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” plan, which aims to improve India’s ability to make defense equipment and bring in foreign investment through joint ventures.
Murthy claimed that the collaborative strategy will speed up technological progress and help India become self-sufficient in important defense systems in the long run.
Increasing the skills of Indigenous people
India’s goal of making its own fighter jet engine is a big aspect of its plan to modernize its military. The government’s focus on strengthening indigenous competence, together with strategic collaborations with other countries, is intended to greatly reduce the country’s reliance on imports and make it safer.
Murthy highlighted that “making an indigenous fighter engine is not only a technological goal, but also a strategic necessity.”
The GTRE-led project is considered as a key part of India’s plan to become a global center for defense manufacture and a net exporter of cutting-edge military technology by the end of the next decade.