While a large number of global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) echo the Indian government’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-sufficient India) slogans, British engine company Rolls-Royce has thrown its hat in the ring to design and develop engines for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which will form the backbone of the IAF’s fifth-generation fighter fleet starting a decade from now
This is about co-creating the intellectual property (IP) that goes into a new fighter engine. This will be a greenfield design and will take a decade to create,” says Kishore Jayaraman, who heads Rolls-Royce India.
There is little appetite amongst combat aircraft engine makers to share the IP that results from a co-creation project. The US and India had begun a project to co-develop a fighter engine under the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), but the American firms decided against sharing IP.
French engine maker, Safran, was unwilling to cooperate with the DRDO to co-create the Kaveri engine.
“We are keen to partner India for the co-development of combat engine technology in the country. We believe that such a partnership should result in the transfer of both know-how and know-why, with all IP for critical combat engine technology resting with India, allowing future customisation and improvisations,” says Jayaraman.
Rolls-Royce, however, points out that it has been acting in accordance with the principles of Atmanirbharta for almost a century.