India and France Collaborate on 120 kN Engine Development for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)
India and France have formalized an agreement to collaboratively design and produce a new 120 kN engine for India's forthcoming Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as part of a government-to-government initiative.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh revealed this partnership with the French company Safran, highlighting India's progress toward developing fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The engine will be manufactured in India with assistance from France.
This engine development is included in the Horizon 2047 roadmap guiding the strategic partnership between India and France. The project is anticipated to take a decade for development, followed by production. The second series of AMCA fighters will utilize this engine, while the first series will be powered by GE-414 engines from the United States.
Safran has been selected over other competitors such as Rolls Royce from the UK and GE from the US. The company has proposed establishing a broader ecosystem for the production of multiple aircraft engines within India.
Additionally, Safran is constructing a new Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Hyderabad to service Rafale's M88 engine. This will be the first such facility outside of France to handle these components.
Officials have indicated that formal contract discussions for the AMCA engine will commence shortly.
