According to reports from the Times of India and the Economic Times on the 23rd, Indian officials revealed that after purchasing Rafale fighter jets from France, India is now ready to launch another defense cooperation with France: jointly developing new engines for fifth-generation fighter jets in India. Indian media said that this cooperation will strengthen the strategic cooperative relationship between India and France.

According to reports, the company will undertake a full technology transfer to India in this cooperation to design, develop, test, certify and produce a new engine with a propulsion of 120kN in India.

Prior to this, India's domestic "Glory" series fighter jets had long used GE-F404 series engines and GE-F414 series engines from U.S. General Electric. However, in recent years, U.S. engines could not be delivered to India due to supply chain problems, which affected the delivery of Indian domestic fighter jets. India's media commentary said that with the deterioration of U.S.-India relations caused by recent tariffs, India is looking for a diversified source of weapons, avoiding the "card neck" of U.S. equipment.

The latest improvement of M88 engine-M88 T-REX turbofan engine Safran aircraft engine

Full-size model of Indian domestic five-generation AMCA

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will soon submit an application to the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security to reach a collaboration with France's Safran. Safran will carry out a complete technology transfer to India in this cooperation to design, develop, test, certify and produce a new engine with a thrust of 120kN in India.

An official said: "India's Defence Research and Development Organisation has approved Safran's proposal as the best choice for the AMCA (Advanced Medium Fighter) powertrain for the twin-engined fifth-generation fighter. Safran already produces a range of helicopter engines in India. The project will cost almost $7 billion in collaboration with DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Unit."

Indian Defense Minister Singh also confirmed the project on Tuesday, saying: ¡°We have taken steps to advance the production of the fifth generation fighter aircraft.We have also begun to produce the engines for the aircraft in India.We will soon work with the French Summit Group to start the engine manufacturing work in India.¡±

It is worth noting that this means Safran will develop a brand-new fifth-generation engine in India.

Safran Group has produced M88 series engines with an afterburner thrust of 85kN, which are equipped on the "Rafale" fighter. India also has a record of importing the "Rafale" series. Previously, the BBC reported that in the India-Pakistan air battle in May this year, the "Rafale" fighter jet of the Indian army was shot down by a J-10CE fighter jet equipped by Pakistan.

Currently, the French aviation industry is also developing new engines. At the Paris Air Show, the Peak Group unveiled the M88 T-REX engine, an upgraded version of its M88 engine. Compatible with the future standards of Dassault Airline's "Venture", the engine will be based on the reliability and performance of the M88 to further increase momentum and increase the accelerated combustion chamber.

Jane's Defence Weekly commented that, despite the slow progress of the "Future Air Combat System" (FCAS) project jointly developed by France, Germany and West Africa, the M88 T-REX fills the gap in aviation power to some extent, ensuring that the Rafale fighter will still have strong combat capabilities in the 2040s and beyond.

India is unable to manufacture reliable advanced aircraft engines, which has long been a major obstacle to India's domestic fighter project.Indian Airlines had previously ordered a batch of GE-F404 engines from U.S. General Electric, but failed to deliver on time, which also affected the production of the domesticly manufactured MK-1A fighter.

The delay on the US side also affected India's subsequent aviation development. Hindustan Airlines had planned to reach a final agreement with General Electric to jointly produce the 98 kN GE-F414 engine in India to power the planned Mark 2 variant of the "Tejas" fighter jet, but in the end, India suspended the delivery due to the delay of the US engine.

Comparison between F414 and M88-4 engines

The recent Indian-US tariff conflict has also affected India's willingness to introduce U.S. weapons equipment. Earlier, Reuters that India has suspended the procurement of several U.S. weapons, including P-8 anti-submarine aircraft, while looking for alternatives to GE-F414. India's media commented that with the recent tariff-related US-India relationship deterioration, India is looking for a diversified source of weapons to avoid being "carted" by U.S. equipment.

The "Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft"(AMCA) project is a domestically produced fifth-generation aircraft project currently promoted by the Indian Air Force. Its full size model was previously publicly displayed at the Indian Air Show for the first time.

According to AMCA's timetable, AMCA's first prototype will be completed in 2027, its first flight will be achieved in 2028, and mass production delivery will begin in 2036. The Indian Air Force plans to introduce seven squadrons (126 aircraft) of the expensive AMCA. The first two squadrons use U.S. GE-F414 engines and the last five squadrons use 120kN engines jointly developed by France and India.

The Observer Network.