HAL Chief in Russia to Finalize Deal for Licensed Manufacturing of 240 Engines for Su-30MKI

A high-level delegation from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), led by Chairman and Managing Director D.K. Sunil, is currently in Russia to finalize a deal for the licensed manufacturing of 240 AL-31FP aero engines. These engines are crucial for powering the Indian Air Force's (IAF) fleet of Su-30MKI fighter jets.

The AL-31FP engine, with its thrust vectoring capabilities, has proven to be a reliable powerplant for the Su-30MKI, contributing to its agility, speed, and overall combat effectiveness. Each Su-30MKI requires three sets of engines over its service life, making this manufacturing deal vital for ensuring the continued operational readiness of the IAF's Su-30MKI fleet.

This agreement is a significant step towards strengthening India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing and enhancing the strategic partnership between India and Russia in the aerospace sector. By producing these engines domestically, HAL can leverage local expertise and resources, contributing to the "Make in India" initiative, which aims to boost domestic production and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

The deal also holds strategic importance for maintaining the IAF's operational capabilities in an increasingly complex security environment. A steady supply of AL-31FP engines will ensure the Su-30MKI fleet remains combat-ready and capable of fulfilling its role as a crucial component of India's air power.

This visit by the HAL delegation comes ahead of Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's scheduled trip to Moscow from December 8-10. During his visit, Singh is expected to hold discussions on further defence cooperation, including the possibility of joint production of jet engines in India with technology transfer from Russia.

The successful conclusion of this deal for licensed production of AL-31FP engines is eagerly anticipated. It represents a significant advancement in India's defence manufacturing capabilities and reflects HAL's commitment to modernizing the IAF's fleet through indigenization and technological advancement. This agreement is likely to pave the way for increased collaboration in defence production between India and Russia, further solidifying their strategic partnership.

 

[sanket]

Again IAF should Think about AL-51 Derivative Instead of AL-31FP, its IAF who is making mistake & not HAL, HAL will manufacture Locally what ever IAF select the Engine, In Future Super sukhoi may carry heavy weapons Just an Example Rudram Family

 

[Mithu Roy]

IAF is least interested to retain Russian origin fighters and transport aircraft for not so great performance and high maintenance requirements.

 

[tipoo2]

Again IAF should Think about AL-51 Derivative Instead of AL-31FP, its IAF who is making mistake & not HAL, HAL will manufacture Locally what ever IAF select the Engine, In Future Super sukhoi may carry heavy weapons Just an Example Rudram Family

The AL51 is not a drop-in replacement for the AL31

The new engines that borrow the endurance parts from the AL51 into the AL31 form factor are

 

[Instant Karma]

This time HAL should not settle anything less than 100% technology transfer of the engine technology. After all India is now the second largest trading partner of Russia.

 

[Hey]

Again IAF should Think about AL-51 Derivative Instead of AL-31FP, its IAF who is making mistake & not HAL, HAL will manufacture Locally what ever IAF select the Engine, In Future Super sukhoi may carry heavy weapons Just an Example Rudram Family

Well Russia has unveiled New engines which posses Stealth features and are based on Al-31 , there is a huge difference between Al-31&51 but Russia says the news engines will feature 70% same components...

Not to forget , there is currently no such need to upgrade Sukhoi engines & 1 Al-31 engine last 10-15 years , so in the next phase by 2035 we will have a option to shift our industry form Al-31 to Whatever engine we pick & absorb the TOT...

Currently it is not easy thing to do

 

[Avada kedavra]

IAF is least interested to retain Russian origin fighters and transport aircraft for not so great performance and high maintenance requirements.

Then why buy russian junk in the first place?

 

[Shanker]

Again IAF should Think about AL-51 Derivative Instead of AL-31FP, its IAF who is making mistake & not HAL, HAL will manufacture Locally what ever IAF select the Engine, In Future Super sukhoi may carry heavy weapons Just an Example Rudram Family

HAL can manufacture the AL-51. But question is about indigenization. Already, HAL has has taken decades to develop AL 31 vendors. Yet, even now that engine is not 100% indigenous. Developing vendor base for another new engine might take more than 5 years. As IAF is happy with the improved version of AL-31 variety, the possibility of AL-51 one might not happen in the near future!

 

[bonito]

Again IAF should Think about AL-51 Derivative Instead of AL-31FP, its IAF who is making mistake & not HAL, HAL will manufacture Locally what ever IAF select the Engine, In Future Super sukhoi may carry heavy weapons Just an Example Rudram Family

Do you understand the concept of supplier management? Supplier training, augmenting, financing, mitigating supply chain disruption for a new engine will take atleast take 5-6 yrs.
It took 10 years for Tata to reduce it's vendor from 250 to 52 vendors for cars while the ecosystem for Cars in India sinwell established. Fight jet !?

 

[Pad UwU]

Well it's nice but I hope we can get an al41f improve version instead for su30mki instead 😺.... If the new al31fp is comparable to the older al41f engine that's a good option

 

[Sandeep]

Installing another new engine will require a lot of modifications to the structure, air frame, fuselage, wiring, pipes etc which will be very expensive as we will need to carry it out on all of our jets. On top of that it will take time to test and certify the new engine and technology change.

It’s easier, quicker and cheaper to use the latest advanced Al 31FP engine with FADEC which will improve its performance and maintenance. Also we have already developed an entire ecosystem and supply chain companies who provide the parts so switching to an entirely new engine will take a long time to set up.

 

[Tailless Baboon]

The AL51 is not a drop-in replacement for the AL31

The new engines that borrow the endurance parts from the AL51 into the AL31 form factor are

Please explain.

 

[Sudhir K]

Lot of work done on AL 31F by Bharat, including indigenous FADEC and parts. Bharat would not want to loose control. Wouldn't be surprised if Russia has implemented some of them in AL 5q

 

[Muthukumar Ponnambalam]

India is going to manufature Russian engine, which is the fruition of hard (l)earned Russian technology.

What's the big deal about that? When India is not capable of creating its own homegrown technology??

 

[tipoo2]

Please explain.

The AL51 is not made to just drop in to an AL31 bay without major modification, it's like a CPU needing a new socket instead of just being a drop-in upgrade

However the new AL31 + AL41 successor they've made out of the added durability materials of the AL51 is designed to just drop in our Su-30 bays with no modification, and as we have to replace the AL31s every 2000 hours anyways that quickly becomes worth it.

 

[Bikramjeet Goswami]

Then why buy russian junk in the first place?

Its not junk. Russian equipment has seen action all across the globe with decent success. It has served Indian needs through multiple conflicts. No piece of military equipment is perfect - there is always a trade-off.
Also remember, the US and many Western nations were reluctance to sell certain equipment to India until recently.

 

[Garuda]

What about those new Al 31 FN engine recently unveiled by Russia . They are posed to be replacement of Al 31 and Al 41 engines . With higher thrust, lower weight , lower IR signatures, more reliability and 6000 hours of servicibilty with just minor adjustment could have been perfect power plant for IAF's backbone .

 

[P2S2]

Again IAF should Think about AL-51 Derivative Instead of AL-31FP, its IAF who is making mistake & not HAL, HAL will manufacture Locally what ever IAF select the Engine, In Future Super sukhoi may carry heavy weapons Just an Example Rudram Family

Su 57 thinking is like allowing a design technology to move forward by input from other brains. It just a platform, grab it and run with it separately. Bharat is huge work on Waqt earning Waqt profitably. Intermediate hitch a ride on Australia and Scandinavia.