Rolls-Royce Emerges as Frontrunner for India's AMCA Mk2 Engine Partnership as High-level Defence Delegation Visits UK Facility

A senior Indian delegation recently visited the Rolls-Royce facility in Bristol, UK, highlighting strengthening defence industry collaboration between India and the United Kingdom.

The delegation included India's Defence Secretary, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, and the High Commissioner of India to the UK, His Excellency Vikram Doraiswami, along with other high-ranking Ministry of Defence officials and industry leaders.

During the visit, the group examined Rolls-Royce's advanced capabilities in aircraft engines, naval propulsion systems, and other specialized technologies.

This high-profile visit has increased speculation regarding a potential partnership focused on India's ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program. It serves as a clear indicator of the deepening strategic relationship between New Delhi and London in the defence sector.

The engagement is a key part of the broader India-UK defence relationship, which is guided by the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 2030 Roadmap agreements. Both frameworks emphasize cooperation in defence and technology development.

Partnering with Rolls-Royce, a world leader in aerospace propulsion, supports India's goal of creating sophisticated platforms like the AMCA. The AMCA is envisioned as a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), to significantly upgrade the Indian Air Force's (IAF) combat capabilities by the 2030s.

A critical requirement for the AMCA project is the development of a high-performance engine capable of meeting demanding specifications for stealth characteristics, sustained supersonic flight without afterburners (supercruise), and a high thrust-to-weight ratio.

India currently uses foreign engines, like the General Electric F414 powering the Tejas Mk2 fighter, underscoring the strategic need for either a domestically produced or jointly developed engine for future aircraft.

Rolls-Royce, known for engines such as the EJ200 (powering the Eurofighter Typhoon) and its involvement in the UK's next-generation Tempest fighter program, is seen as a strong potential collaborator for this vital AMCA component.

Publicly available information suggests the AMCA Mk2 variant will require an engine in the 110-130 kN thrust class.

During their tour of the Bristol site, the Indian delegation observed several cutting-edge technologies developed by Rolls-Royce. These included:

• Aero Engines: The company presented its latest turbofan engines, highlighting designs that offer high thrust, fuel efficiency, and suitability for stealth aircraft. Rolls-Royce's progress on adaptive cycle engine technology, which could potentially offer variable performance characteristics, is particularly relevant to the AMCA's advanced engine needs.
• Marine Propulsion Systems: The delegation also reviewed Rolls-Royce's naval technologies, including gas turbines and integrated electric propulsion systems. These could potentially be used in future Indian Navy projects, such as indigenous aircraft carriers and the planned Next Generation Destroyers (NGD).
• Niche Technologies: Discussions covered Rolls-Royce's expertise in areas like additive manufacturing (3D printing), artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance, and developments in sustainable aviation, including hydrogen propulsion concepts, which may have applications in both defence and civil aviation sectors in India.

Talks between the Indian delegation and Rolls-Royce representatives centred on creating industrial partnerships, co-developing advanced technologies, and integrating Indian companies into Rolls-Royce's global manufacturing and supply networks.

Both nations affirmed their commitment to using their respective strengths – India's expanding defence industrial capacity and Rolls-Royce's technological leadership – to foster innovation and achieve shared economic advantages.

The visit reinforces the view that Rolls-Royce could be instrumental in resolving the engine challenge for the AMCA program.

While the initial AMCA Mk1 prototypes are expected to fly using the American GE F414 engine (rated around 98 kN thrust), the final production version, AMCA Mk2, requires a significantly more powerful engine (110-130 kN) to achieve its full fifth-generation potential.

India has been actively seeking international partners for co-development, with previous discussions involving both Rolls-Royce and Safran of France. This recent visit positions Rolls-Royce prominently in these ongoing considerations.

 

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[sanket]

RR can offer in aero-engine as well as marine propulsion, unlike Safran, only in aero-engine, that too which it wants control over hot core.

Plus, holding back ToT & MFG in France and then wanting to supply/export these critical components which is going to be funded by GTRE. This is what Safran expects: to develop next-gen aero-engine tech on others' funds and take profit lifetime by holding critical tech & MFG the components.

All engine components should be manufactured in Bharat with local private players part of the ecosystem from Bharat. That's what RR offers looks like, which is much better than Safran.

Whatever prototype of the engine, all should be assembled in Bharat with all components being manufactured in Bharat with all industries should be local private players.

 

[Somnath Sinhababu]

How much time it takes to take a decision? For other countries it may be 1 year for all discussion but for India it's a decade minimum. India has such pathetic decision makers. Never seen a single project that has been started in the correct time and inducted. IAF is literally on a death bed but still only talking and talking, no determination.

 

[Akshat]

How much time it takes to take a decision? For other countries it may be 1 year for all discussion but for India it's a decade minimum. India has such pathetic decision makers. Never seen a single project that has been started in the correct time and inducted. IAF is literally on a death bed but still only talking and talking, no determination.

Oh you are giving too much credit to other countries. All countries are the same, more or less. Pakistan started negotiations for J10 in 2006! But they didn't order it till the time India got Rafales (2021). UAE started negotiations for Rafale in 2009, but didn't sign the deal till 2021. If you look at the European sixth gen fighters, they have been discussing and regrouping between themselves since 90s or early 2000s. If you look at US, they have been trying to find a replacement for Abrams since at least 2000, but till now they don't even know if they want a heavy weight tank or a medium weight.

In case of IAF though, the problem isn't with IAF but MoD, HAL and DRDO. IAF clearly stated in 2005 that Tejas is now outdated, make a simple Tejas Mk2 with an elongated fuselage and a new engine. Simple. But what happened? A special DM from an IIT forced them to buy more Tejas, and gave a perfect excuse to HAL to keep delaying Mk2. It is still not out. 20 years after IAF agreed to buy it! IAF had said it wants Mirages in 1990s. What happened? MoD ordered MMRCA, and then kept changing the rules leading to revised tenders and all. Till 2008. But IAF still decided on Rafales in 2010-2011. But till now MoD refused to give them those. IAF said in 2016 it will buy 114 more MRFAs. But GoI couldn't make up it's mind at least till 2021 (which is when the last comment was made, not sure when exactly the go ahead came, if at all).

So IAF is very clear headed bro. They are just never allowed to do what they should do.

 

[Sandeep]

If there is a high level delegation there then they are close to signing the deal and they might just need to iron out any latest issues and resolve the issues.

Whichever company that they will choose India must make sure that we receive 100% of the technology, IPR, manufacture it entirely in India from Indian raw materials. These key requirements should definitely be included in a legally binding and enforceable contract so there is no chance for the other company to deny, back out or change any part of the contract.