Opinion Beyond Foreign Collaboration, Should India Adopt South Korea's National Mission Approach for AMCA Engine Development?

South Korea's ambitious endeavor to develop indigenous jet engine technology for its KF-21 Boramae fighter jet offers valuable lessons for India.

By declaring this initiative a national mission and providing significant governmental support, including tax exemptions, South Korea aims to reduce its reliance on foreign technology and establish itself as a key player in aerospace technology.

This strategic move has been backed by a substantial investment of approximately $2.2 billion, underscoring their commitment.

India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, with its goal of introducing a fifth-generation stealth fighter, faces a similar challenge: developing a powerful 110kN thrust engine crucial for the AMCA Mk-2 to achieve supercruise capabilities.

While India has been exploring collaborations with international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like General Electric, Safran, and Rolls-Royce, limitations on technology transfer have hindered progress.

Perhaps it's time for India to draw inspiration from South Korea's model and consider a more focused national mission approach for the AMCA's engine development. This would involve several key strategies:

1. Utilizing Indigenous Technology: India should leverage its existing capabilities and the experience gained from past projects like the Kaveri engine program. Even if it necessitates initially hybridizing indigenous and foreign technologies, this approach can pave the way for greater self-reliance in the long run.

2. Governmental Support and Incentives: The Indian government could designate the AMCA engine development as a national mission, providing tax incentives or exemptions to participating companies. This would reduce the financial burden of research and development and encourage greater private sector involvement.

3. Strategic Partnerships: While collaborations with foreign OEMs remain important, India should negotiate more favorable terms for technology transfer. Agreements should prioritize shared or Indian-owned intellectual property rights, ensuring long-term benefits and self-sufficiency.

4. R&D and Infrastructure Investment: Establishing a dedicated engine development complex as a national mission, focused on creating the 110kN engine, could centralize efforts and attract top talent and investment to the sector.

5. Overcoming Bureaucratic Hurdles: Streamlining bureaucratic processes, similar to South Korea's approach with the KF-21 project, is crucial for faster project timelines. This involves clearer policy directives, expedited funding approvals, and more effective integration of private sector expertise into defence projects.

By adopting a national mission approach, India could potentially overcome the challenges that have hampered its indigenous jet engine development. This would not only accelerate the AMCA program but also contribute to India's broader goal of self-reliance in critical defence technologies. It's time for India to take bold steps and establish itself as a leading force in aerospace technology.

 

[Senapati]

India can partner with South Kore in colaborative jet engine development for our AMCA and Tejas Mk2.
It helps in saving time money reducing risk exchang og technology long term defence friendship and also design consultancy and sharing expertise for AMCA 5th generation stealth fighter project.

 

[sanket]

No comparison: $4 billion to $5 billion vs. $2 billion. Ha Ha Ha Ha. Bharat already has Kaveri development experience. What does South Korea have? They can't even manufacture components for the GE-404 engine in time. That's the main reason for the delay in supplying engines for Tejas MK1A. The South Korean example doesn't suit well, as a vendor they can't deliver certain components on time. Instead, GE should shift certain components to local private companies in Bharat to avoid further delays in delivering the GE-404 engine. A country called South Korea, with a highly industrialized base, can't deliver some critical components even after ToT from the OEM. And are they able to develop an engine on time? KF-21 itself is a 4.75-gen fighter jet, and most of the tech/features are being sourced from NATO countries, while for AMCA, up to 90% will have indigenous tech. That's the difference. At last, Bharat at least achieved 46 to 48 kN thrust in the dry variant and 73 kN in afterburner without external help, while South Korea is doing a copy-paste job for several years and still can't develop a jet engine on its own. Another example is Sweden, which is doing a copy-paste job for the GE engine for the so-called Gripen and another jet for decades but failed to develop its own jet engine. Bharat is doing good with peanuts for funds. In May 2025, Bharat will select a foreign partner for the AMCA engine, and the deal will be signed. No need for the South Korean path.

 

[Chandrakanth Shetty]

There is no question of going for a Korean engine. Either we produce our own or jointly with GE and Safran.

 

[War is good for business]

@sanket
Why the copium though? South Korea works on a far smaller budget and what they have achieved is too impressive. After all your talk of experience the South Koreans have a fighter. The same cannot be said for us.
They used home developed tech where they could and where they don't they imported it. Unlike us they accepted their limitations and still got a product with about 50% indigenisation which they will further increase with their radar, weapons and ultimately engine.

 

[Anshuman Dev]

Very good idea. The enemy (China, Pakistan) is at the gates. If not now, then when? Make it a priority; designate a senior Union Secretary to oversee the mission on a daily basis with overarching permissions and approvals. Finish the primary development in months.

 

[Raja Raja Cholan]

There are so much to learn from the initiatives and meaningful aspirations taken by the Koreans to position themselves towards self reliance. In any organisation the top management executives with brilliant leadership qualities steers their organisation to greater heights. On the same note the government bureaucracy and organisation must be in same page in their shared aspirations by providing adequate funds to organisation and private R&D players. Gol must not drag their feet for too long in making a decision to collaborate as an observer in
British, Italian and Japanese in Tempest programme.

 

[Sandeep]

People on this site think that the Koreans are the best and most advanced as they have managed to quickly develop a flying prototype within a few years.

What most people don’t know is that South Korea has developed that 4.5th generation jet by using a lot of help, parts, components, technicians and technology from the USA. So South Korea will do the same with their engine project.

 

[Foxbat]

There is no question of going for a Korean engine. Either we produce our own or jointly with GE and Safran.

What happened to failed negotiations on the collaboration of Safran engines during the four years from 2010 - 2014 refusal for ToT from the French. Still going after Safran, it looks like the French are only interested in business with India not sharing of ToT. Indian government should negotiate for hard bargain when purchasing French military hardwares. I think the Russians were very thoughtful for the amount of military hardwares we purchased from them so they were willing to share critical technologies with India to certain extent. The Israeli were very accommodative too by collaborating in ToT but the French buggers are very rigid in controlling their ToT.