SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Safran, a leading aerospace and defence company, has expressed its commitment to manufacturing M-88 engines entirely in India to support Dassault’s bid for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Range Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender.
The M-88 engine is the powerplant for the Rafale fighter jet, which Dassault is offering to the IAF for 114 jets. Safran’s MRO facility in Hyderabad is already capable of producing M-88 engines, and the company is prepared to scale up production significantly if it receives a substantial order.
The IAF will require a total of 240 engines for its 114 MRFA jets, in addition to the 186 engines needed for its existing fleet of 36 Rafale and 26 Rafale M aircraft. If Dassault wins the MRFA tender, the IAF will require 350 M-88 engines over the lifetime of its fleet in the next 40 years.
To ensure the long-term sustainability of the Rafale fleet, Safran is offering to transfer technology (ToT) for M-88 engine production to its subsidiary in India. This would enable the company to outsource parts of the manufacturing process to Indian private sector companies, increasing the indigenous content to at least 60%. This is crucial for achieving a maintainability rate of around 75%, which is essential for the operational readiness of the fleet.
By manufacturing M-88 engines in India, Safran aims to strengthen Dassault’s bid for the MRFA tender and contribute to India’s self-reliance in the aerospace and defence sector. This move also aligns with the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which promotes domestic manufacturing and technology development.
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