Rolls-Royce Signals Major Interest in Co-developing A New Engine for India's CATS Warrior Drone, Proposes Partnership with HAL

British aerospace giant Rolls-Royce has proposed a partnership with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly develop and produce a new engine for the CATS Warrior, a sophisticated unmanned combat drone.

This potential collaboration marks a significant step forward for India's indigenous Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) program.

The proposal comes as HAL re-evaluates the power requirements for the CATS Warrior drone, officially classified as an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The drone's maximum takeoff weight has recently been increased from 1.3 tons to 2.1 tons to support more advanced systems and payloads.

While the current HAL PTAE-W turbojet engines, each generating 3.7 kilonewtons (kN) of thrust, meet the platform's basic needs, a more powerful engine is being sought for optimal performance and future growth.

Developed by HAL's Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC), the CATS Warrior is a stealthy "loyal wingman" aircraft. It is designed to fly alongside and support manned fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), including the Tejas, Sukhoi-30 MKI, and future platforms like the AMCA and TEDBF.

The drone, showcased as a full-scale model at Aero India 2025, features advanced capabilities such as autonomous take-off and landing and is central to India's ambitions in modern aerial warfare.

This push for a new engine is also driven by long-term plans for a more advanced version of the drone, the CATS Warrior MkII.

Envisioned as a 3-ton mini-strike aircraft, the MkII variant would require a significantly more powerful propulsion system. Its design includes an internal weapons bay and external hardpoints capable of carrying up to 650 kilograms (kg) of payload, including beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAMs) like the indigenous Astra missile.

A partnership with Rolls-Royce, a world leader in engine manufacturing, could provide HAL with critical technology and expertise, accelerating the development timeline for India's unmanned combat platforms.

Such a collaboration would enhance India's self-reliance in the critical field of aero-engine technology and bolster its strategic military and defence capabilities.

 

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[Mc Addy]

Get a jet engine that's already in production,make it work with this and move on . Do a TOT later .

 

[Sivbal]

We are already collaborating with Safran on the 120KN-class jet engine. If feasible, it would be beneficial to extend this collaboration to the this engine project as well, since working with a single vendor could streamline coordination and reduce complexity. Additionally, all subsystems for Safran’s engine technology are sourced from France, whereas Rolls-Royce’s engine includes a significant number of components made in the US. Given the close strategic alignment between the UK and the US, this could introduce additional considerations.

 

[sanket]

Good, it's RR who wants to partner HAL rather than HAL. RR may become a major foreign partner in developing various engines in aero as well as naval propulsion, making Bharat Atmanirbhar.

 

[Suddhasattwa Bandyopadhyay]

What about our Manik turbofan engines? Why can't we use those for CATS II?

 

[Mc Addy]

How do a concept jet evolve without an engin , as engine is the basis of the jet , and it's build around it so tr trying to fit in a tailor made engine into a jet frame is a major task due to fitment issues , should have made it around a proven engine .

 

[P.K Senapati]

CATS Mk2 is required to have an MTOW of 3.1 tons, which is more than the present specification of 1.3 tons. Definitely, we need a new engine of higher thrust. RR is reliable, and we can have co-development of this new engine. I will suggest that since we are going for a new engine, let us reconfigure CATS as a single-engined platform and make a single engine that can meet the total thrust requirement.

 

[bonito]

So Manik cannot be used? Didn't I say this project is a failure from the start itself!

 

[Vivek Singh]

So Manik cannot be used? Didn't I say this project is a failure from the start itself!

Manik is a one-time-use engine designed for cruise missiles. It is not meant for an aircraft that needs to return after completing its mission.

Manik has been designed as a cheap engine that needs to work just once.

 

[Immortal Soul]

Wow, nice, but there is a small change in information here. CATS Warrior MK-II will be 5-tons and not 3-tons as mentioned in this report. And an improvement of the Mk1's variant from 1.3 to 2 tons is very appreciated 👏. And the payload in MK1 is around 400-600 kg, whereas in MK2 is around 1000 kg. Good work; keep these innovations coming up. Along with that, also execute these programs.

JAI HIND JAI BHARAT

 

[Sandeep]

India doesn’t need to buy a foreign engine. We have already developed the STFE which produces about 5kn of thrust which will provide more than enough power.

Also recently several private sector companies are developing similar types of engine and thrust level which will be sufficient enough. Also the government can provide funding support to a private company to develop a brand new engine if they haven’t done so already.

We have to make sure whichever engine that gets selected will be from an indigenous company and 100% of it should be developed and manufactured indigenously from local raw materials.

 

[Akshat]

Crazy! It was originally built for the Nirbhay missile with a 1000 km range and recently integrated with LRLACM with a 1500 km range. Also, it was planned to be integrated with the Swift UAV.

Nirbhay or LRLACM won't need an extensive suite of sensors or communication devices along with propulsion, like CATS would. And Swift also was a scale model used only for validating control laws, so requirements were significantly curtailed.

 

[Mag Gal]

Good, it's RR who wants to partner HAL rather than HAL. RR may become a major foreign partner in developing various engines in aero as well as naval propulsion, making Bharat Atmanirbhar.

It’s not great at all. In some key technologies, you have to do your own bidding. Britain doesn’t allow any other engine in its Tempest, Taranis, or few other programs.

French kitting of Iraqi AD or Argentine or even Taiwan is a lesson to learn that during trouble they were sold to highest bidder because French knew the details.

Details matter. If HAL can’t even manage a small engine, it really needs to think about its IP and creds.

 

[vasu gali]

No foreign company can be relied upon for 100% ToT, source code, etc. So India may have to consider Russian offers also, particularly for the 177S engines, as relying on one foreign partner could prove to be troublesome in times of sanctions like CAATSA of US.

 

[Senapati]

Continue with present 3,7kN engine and twin engined configuration
Complete the flight test and proof of technology
Then go for a single engine configuration CATS mK2 with a new engine that gives twice of combined thrust may be 15kN
You can take Al55I engine if HJT that has 17kN

 

[R. Singh]

IF UK guarantee India not to bogged down under US Pressure , we must ink deal with Rolls Royce for engines for different purpose ,like engines for fighter jet.Sea plane, AMCA-N, UCAV and for warship !

 

[bonito]

Manik is a one-time-use engine designed for cruise missiles. It is not meant for an aircraft that needs to return after completing its mission.

Manik has been designed as a cheap engine that needs to work just once.

Crazy! It was originally built for the Nirbhay missile with a 1000 km range and recently integrated with LRLACM with a 1500 km range. Also, it was planned to be integrated with the Swift UAV.

 

[been_there_seen_it_all]

Just upgrading the metallurgy of hot zone components in the present engine will do the trick. GTRE bigwigs might have already started their work in that direction. Something to note though, Rolls Royce is desperately trying to make an entry into Indian defence manufacturing scene. Having worked with English colleagues and bosses in an English company, I know they have strong ulterior motive. This is how they spread their tentacles. If you remember your school history on how they came as traders and ended up taking over the entire Indian sub-continent. I never trust these 'angrez'.