Search the Internet          Tips  Sites: Finance, Investment

Snecma, HAL to co-produce engines for ALHs, IJTs

Fakir Chand in Bangalore

Snecma, the world's leading French aerospace company, will soon enter into an agreement with the Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to co-develop and co-produce twin engines for the latter's Advanced Light Helicopters and the Intermediate Jet Trainer aircraft.

To be used by the three Indian defence services, the ALHs and the IJT, which is in the advanced development stage, are currently using TM333 2B2 engines produced by Snecma's group company Turbomeca, which also supplied engines for all the 20 Dauphins operated by Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd.

With HAL getting the letter of intent from the army, air force, navy, and the Indian coast guard recently for the delivery of 300 ALH variants suiting their respective needs over the next five to ten years, Snecma will be granting HAL its license to manufacture the powerful engines, code named Shakti, in India with transfer of technology and expertise.

"As the helicopters cruise on twin-engines, the initial requirement for 300 ALHs will be about 600 engines and another 150 engines for spare.

Similarly, the engine requirement for about 100 IJTs, to be used by the Indian Air Force for training their pilots, will in the order of 200 with another 100 for spare use," HAL sources told rediff.com in Bangalore on Wednesday, adding that HAL has selected the enhanced version of the Snecma Larzac engine for the jet trainer aircraft.

Snecma officials, however, declined to specify the proposed investments for the joint production of engines for ALHs and neither IJTs nor the scale of operations in association with HAL as the details were being worked out.

Incidentally, the Euro 6.9-billion aerospace propulsion and equipment group has been associated with the Indian aerospace industry over the last five decades.

Earlier, Snecma also had licensed HAL to manufacture about 200 Adour engines for Jaguar fighter aircraft operated by the IAF, and about 600 Artouste engines for Cheetah and Chetak helicopters used by the army and navy.

"We have a long lasting presence in India, dating back to the fifties when IAF pilots were trained to fly French aeroplanes Ouragan and Fouge Magister," Snecma international development vice-president Philippe Humbert stated.

Since then, Snecma entered into collaboration with HAL and the Gas Turbine Research Establishment, also based in Bangalore, for the development of aeronautical technologies.

"In fact, our joint venture company with the US-based GE, CFMI, has supplied 35 CFM56 engines for Boeing B737s, operated by India's two leading private domestic airlines, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines," Humbert affirmed.

Snecma Chairman and CEO Jean-Paul Bechat confirmed to rediff.com earlier in the day that when the Indian Government ordered for more Mirage 2000 fighters, his company would be ready to undertake local manufacturing and assembly of its M53 engine.

"We here to stay for long and collaborate with the high-tech Indian aerospace industry to jointly design, develop, and produce engines, aviation components, spare parts, and accessories," Bechat asserted.

In the run-up to its long term association and collaboration with the Indian aerospace/aeronautical industry, Snecma has set up its wholly-owned Indian subsidiary, to launch its own full-fledged research and development center in with an initial investment of Rs 200 million.

The Bangalore-based design R&D Center will perform studies and develop engine components, aircraft equipment, and onboard software. It will develop embedded software to design engines and other equipment to be used for simulation and manufacturing.

"Initially, the center will carry out design studies on behalf of Snecma's group companies We will also have development projects for the group's future collaboration with the Indian aerospace industry," Snecma Aerospace India managing director Olivier Laederich said.

The center will have strength of about 100 employees, including lateral software engineers with specialization in aeronautics and avionics.

Another 250 engineers will ramp the number up by 2004.

"Bangalore is not only the Silicon Valley of India, but also the capital of aerospace with outstanding human resources and academic/R&D establishments in defence, aviation, and space. We intend to take advantage of the skills and leverage the Indian capability for outsourcing," Laederich averred.

As the center will be a 100 per cent export oriented unit, it will be considered as Snecma's software technology park unit. To be operated as a revenue center, the subsidiary is expecting to post an Euro 3 million sales by the second year of operations.

ALSO READ:
The Rediff Budget Special
Money
Business News